Excellent argument going on at The Forager regarding artistic denial and censorship. While I might tend to think that some moral structure should be in place, I agree that it should be placed within the individual, and not left to a society to regulate. The individuals form the society, and public opinion will always prevail, even over laws and closed minded groups who set themselves up as a form of censorship for the masses. Thus, art need not be burdened with a moral responsibility, but rather free to explore all of man’s nature. Its meaning and its value will be decided on that basis.
Michaelangelo’s David is, in all its glorious nakedness, is easily compared to other nude statues and artwork, and it cannot be looked at in the same way by everyone, but it has endured because while it cannot help but moralize, it tells a story so completely different than its naked brethren.
The Lost Children: A Charity Anthology