The Twelve Days of Censorship

Joy Crane’s chastity belt sculpture was too risque for the “family-friendly” Brookings Art Council Annual Juried Art Exhibit in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. 

The sculpture depicted a chastity belt hanging from old, rusty iron hooks on a dungeon or torture chamber wall, inferring that people are still in the “Dark Ages” when it comes to women’s rights in USA and all over the world. The belt had a number of phrases on it such as “abuse,” “unequal pay” and “rape.” A golden key hung above the belt with the word “justice” next to it.

Anyone who believes that art is no longer powerful needs only take a look through the many instances — past and current — of censorship of art shows and libraries to see that is clearly not that case.