What makes art controversial? Could be politics, or perhaps it’s to do with the subject portrayed or the themes explored. But very often it is because of nudity. There is something about seeing the human body in all its naked splendor that whips elderly churchgoers into a frenzy.
This is very often the case when it comes to sculpture. Glorifying the human form in marble may go back to the ancient Greek and Roman period, but we don’t seem to have gotten any better at dealing with it. The modern period is littered with controversial nude sculptures, as you will see from my selections here.
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| The playful works of Czech artist David Cerny. |
PISS
Czech sculptor David Cerny has always been a contentious figure in his country. He notoriously painted a Soviet Tank bright pink as a war memorial: an act which landed him in hot water with the Law. His sculptures regularly portray the nude human form in strange ways. Case in point: “Piss,” which shows two naked men taking a leak into a pond. A marvelously surreal and twisted creation.
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