# Obscenity in Art



## Fallowfox (Dec 24, 2014)

At the moment Megumi Igarashi faces a possible 2 years in prison for breaching Japan's Obscenity laws, which forbid artistic rendition of the human genitals.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-30595378

Should any Art be viewed a obscene? Does the criminalisation of any Art's exhibition, ownership or production constitute thought crime?
Should art whose production involved hurting people be permitted, and in what contexts?


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## Sarcastic Coffeecup (Dec 24, 2014)

Art can be obscene, and to us westerns the Japanese laws baffle us and seem stupid.
That's the way it is there though and I can understand and respect that.


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## Fallowfox (Dec 24, 2014)

I'm not sure we should respect the imprisonment of people for drawing muff. 

What is deemed obscene varies between cultures- in Sunni Islam any image of the body at all is obscene, for instance, and I'm conscious that there are possible double standards; why should my culture's obscenity criteria be better than anybody else's? 

I think that, unless it can be demonstrated that a piece of art entailed doing illegal harm to someone, in order to produce it, that it should not be deemed obscene. It makes sense to prohibit the exhibition of art that requires people to be unacceptably harmed, because that deters its production. 

To declare anything else obscene would, in my view, be too subjective- even if I view the art as disgusting.


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## SirRob (Dec 24, 2014)

I think it should be viewed as obscene. At least, in this context. Otherwise the art would lose some of its impact, value and purpose. This sort of art is a call for change, and if it wasn't directly confronting the issue it's trying to solve, the message wouldn't be as powerful.


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## RTDragon (Dec 24, 2014)

I'm not surprised this has happened since it's actually a law in japan hence you see why a lot of the adult kemono comics are censored.
And Fallowfox you should have know this by now.


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## Tailmon1 (Dec 24, 2014)

Obscenity and law has been at odds for as long as man could think. Every culture has their take 
on the viewing of the human body. And Japan allows things western cultures view as Obscene along
with the silly that we do not.


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## Troj (Dec 24, 2014)

My understanding is that we have this particular law to thank for tentacle rape porn. Thanks, Japan!


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## Fallowfox (Dec 24, 2014)

Troj said:


> My understanding is that we have this particular law to thank for tentacle rape porn. Thanks, Japan!



In addition, Japanese porn companies evade the 'no human genitals rule' by filming women fellating dogs, because that _isn't_ viewed as obscene.


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## Troj (Dec 24, 2014)

Because that's SO MUCH BETTER.

Obviously, the idea of "obscenity" is pretty much a farce, especially given that bureaucrats and hand-wringers who have hissy fits over genitals or gays or sacrilege often don't bat an eyelash at instances of rape, murder, child abuse, animal abuse, or genocide that occur in the real world.


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## FlameCat (Dec 25, 2014)

Considering I see myself as an explicit artist I understand the problems in todays society with bringing "obscene" art into the public.

Personally I find it all a bit dumb, considering we are all animals and we all know what our genitalia looks like so why shy away from it? I can happily draw these things and not feel offended because it is just part of the human anatomy, Im sure that surgeons and doctors dont find it obscene so why should the common public?!

Its quite a hard subject for me to talk about as well without making myself seem like some weird perverted artist... (I admit that it is a little bit of that) But! Why should that change anything? Just because I draw a figure with the correct genitalia shouldn't make me a pervert... And this goes for other artists as well, why should the common public shy away from true art just because it's obscene? Artists have done it for years so why should it come to a stop because people are becoming too sensitive?! 

-(Maybe I will think about peoples feelsies when I am drawing a dick ^.~ )-


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## Fallowfox (Dec 25, 2014)

For a long time all pubic hair was omitted from high European art, for it was viewed as obscene.


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## Reaginicwolf (Jan 14, 2015)

This reminds me how I nearly got expelled from high school for sculpting a miniature and I must say nearly perfect replica of the David. Appearently it wasn't school appropriate. I pity this lady, seriously wtf japan, tentacle porn is allowed but pictures of dicks or in this case vaginias is crossing the line.


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## Kookyfox (Jan 14, 2015)

Japan's obscenity laws are against freedom of expression to me. Genitals have alaways been in art because they have strong connotations and can be used as allegories.

Just look at the painting_ L'Origine du Monde _by Gustave Courbet. It was made 1866! and it just represents a vagina NSFW:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/L'Origine_du_monde
The whole pooint of the painting is to picture the fact that humanity's origins is a cunt, and as dirty or obscene as it may be qualified, a vagina becomes beautiful in that sense.


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## Charrio (Jan 14, 2015)

Unfortunately, different countries and areas have their own laws and taboos on things. 
Obscenity is subjective to an area's customs. 

I wish it was a basic system but like opinion every one is different, so I can definitely see someone going to prison for such. 
Its a shame really that freedom of expression isn't always accepted universally.


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## TheRedGhost (Jan 18, 2015)

Sarcastic Coffeecup said:


> Art can be obscene, and to us westerns the Japanese laws baffle us and seem stupid.
> That's the way it is there though and I can understand and respect that.


Which is awkward when you think about it, because the Japanese obscenity laws are because of the westernization of japan. Prior, Japan was very explicit in art.


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