Art and Free Speech | Art and Influence

Armand Cabrera

I have been writing these articles for over ten years now and in that time I’ve rarely strayed from the narrow topic of the general nuts and bolts of art but with recent events taking place here in this country and around the world I feel compelled to speak out against what I see as an assault on free speech.

Art does not exist in a vacuum. To flourish it needs certain conditions and to my way of thinking the most important is the free exchange of ideas. Ideas that challenge our comfort zones and push our boundaries and even may offend us are an important part of what goes into making all forms of great art.

In this country free speech is being strangled on college campuses by individuals who only want a platform for their narrow worldviews. They have set themselves up as the overlords of all things right and good and in doing so have destroyed any chance for dialogue between opposing viewpoints. Surprisingly this is coming from the left side of the political spectrum instead of conservatives.

This goes against everything America was built on. Freedom of speech is a fundamental right even when it is distasteful or outright offensive. As an artist I am well acquainted with this kind of fascist control over what people can say or do or write or draw. In my career I have been blocked from showing my art because it had religious overtones, political commentary, nudity, violence or in some cases fantasy elements. I abhor censorship as much when this comes from the left as I do when it comes from the right of the political spectrum.

Stifling free speech leads to an insular worldview and limited thinking which leads to extreme and sometimes violent intolerance of other viewpoints. Reports of students spitting on people listening to speakers they disagree with or locking out and threatening journalists trying to report on news events shows how far they have fallen from American values on our campuses.

Even more disturbing are the recent bombings around the world showing that democracies are being threatened by extreme fundamentalism. Attacks on musicians, writers, journalists and cartoonists some with murderous outcomes for the victims of the aggression, have been increasing around the globe. This type of attack goes against the core beliefs of a free democracy and capitulation to the aggressors is not the answer. No ideology, social or religious, should be exempt from criticism or outright ridicule by anyone in a free society.

Artists of all disciplines have always pushed society’s boundaries. They have always been the forefront of free thought. In my opinion the world is now a better place because of this, do not let a few extremists who fear progress and change alter that.

Artists are increasingly posting their work on social media. Some are finding that because of the reach of the web their work is being censored. They way sites like Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook apply their acceptable use/ guidelines are uneven leaving many artists confused and frustrated by the experience. The problems stem from these sites having many purposes for their users unlike dedicated artist hosting sites which can be much more flexible although with a smaller much more targeted user base.

As more and more artists and entrepreneurs are turning to self promotion and marketing, social media sites are finding themselves having to adjust and things that would have gotten banned just a few years ago can be completely acceptable now.

The internet offers a worldwide audience though, and something considered in good taste in one place could be found to be offensive in another. Content generators don’t really have control over who shares their posts even though they are responsible for the content of them. Violations can get the offender temporarily or permanently banned.

Artists recently hosted a Facebook Nudity Day protesting the random censorship of art on the site. The site was flooded with all forms of artistic expression celebrating nudity. In my own feed I have seen people reported and censored briefly for a post only to have FB reverse their decision upon inspection of the content in question.

If you are an artist how do you deal with the restrictions various social media place on your art? If you respond please do not include links or images in your reply. That’s how I am dealing with comments.