and her page: http://www.slmm.org/kcroucher/kcroucher.html
Posted on 05/15/2007 7:32:30 AM PDT by Behind Liberal Lines
Controversies surrounding art and the American flag are nothing new.
A painting of a swastika inside an American flag caused such a stir in Carrboro, N.C. in 2003 that some citizens called for the mayor's resignation. The painting — by a Jew — had been hanging behind the mayor's desk following an anti-war exhibit. The mayor kept his job, but the painting was taken down.
And now a drama of the same vein is playing out in the lobby of Canandaigua National Bank & Trust Co. headquarters on South Main. The piece, "Flag Target," is part of an exhibit by artist Kit Croucher, who grew up in Canandaigua and now lives in California.
"I occasionally use my art to make political statements and speak loudly about issues I care about," Croucher said recently in an interview about her work, which in on display both at the bank and Wood Library through May 31.
Displayed near the entrance of the bank, "Flag Target" caught the eye of Ontario County Treasurer Gary Baxter soon after it went up April 30. His reaction was strong and immediate: "I find it very offensive," said Baxter. "I don't feel that what my father — or any veteran — fought for should be pictured as an American flag with a bullet hole through it."
Baxter, a former Geneva city councilman and police officer, took his complaint to a teller, who quickly turned the matter over to Stephen R. Martin, vice president of marketing.
"I voiced my opinion about it," said Baxter, who has been wearing a red, white and blue neck tie to government functions ever since the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.
Martin said Baxter asked, "Are you in charge of art at the bank?"
Martin replied he was.
Then Baxter asked, "How long will it be up?" said Martin, who replied until the end of May.
Baxter's response: "I'll be back in a month."
After leaving the bank, Baxter called for bank President George Hamlin IV. Hamlin wasn't in, and Baxter expressed his objection to Hamlin's secretary, Jean Blance.
Baxter told her "he found it very offensive, especially in a time of war," said Blance, Hamlin's secretary of 25 years.
"I didn't think it was right, either," said Blance. "I found it disturbing — an American flag with a target in the middle, with a bullet hole through it."
So Blance took the piece down.
But it didn't stay down for long.
By the time the bank opened the next day, it was back up — with a statement by George Hamlin posted near it: "A First Amendment Right of Expression."
The statement began:
"Some have expressed (County Treasurer Baxter) that they are offended by Artist Croucher's work (Flag Target). ... It never occurred to me to be offended by my friend's expression of the fact that America (its ideals) IS a target under attack with REAL bullets and REAL consequences by an enemy which uses cowardly and senseless terror as their primary instrument against innocent people with the object to tear asunder our values of liberty and justice for all, which are ideals that are all too fragile at this point in time, both at home and abroad."
Hamlin noted his military background in the statement: He flew a fighter on 100 missions over North Vietnam in the late '60s and was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross and 10 Air Medals. "I remain a reluctant warrior fully aware of the senseless ravages of war," he stated.
Hamlin and Martin had talked about the incident before rehanging the piece. "I strongly, vehemently, support one's right of expression," said Martin. Hamlin, meanwhile, had called Blance at home about the matter.
"Everyone is entitled to their opinion," said Blance.
The next day, Baxter, who expected the artwork had come down, based on his conversation with Blance, saw the piece was back on display and turned and walked out.
"I won't walk into the bank until that artwork is over with," said Baxter, who is doing the county's business at other CNB branches or the drive-through until then.
In a response to the controversy, Croucher said: "I really do believe that artists have the right, maybe the responsibility, to pose questions and raise issues."
Croucher explained her piece as a "tri-fold book" that is designed to show its labels of "fragile" on its cover, before it is opened to reveal the flag inside, with target and hole.
A "great sadness," inspired the piece, said Croucher, who lives near San Francisco. "We have become a target," she said, referring to the state of the nation since Sept. 11, 2001.
A couple patrons of the bank weighed in on the matter this past week. Neither had read Hamlin's statement, though they thought the work was serving its purpose by generating such interest.
"It's good that we have such controversies," said Stephen Lewandowski of Bloomfield.
Meanwhile, Baxter addressed rumors that he had threatened to withdraw the county's some $25 million from CNB over the matter. Baxter said he has neither the authority nor the desire to stop doing the county's financial business at CNB. Even so, "If I had my own money in Canandaigua National, I would have taken it out," said Baxter.
Hmmm....how hard would it be to GET authority to remove the county’s money from the bank, do you think? Perhaps the citizens of the county would prefer a different bank under the circumstances.
I know that if Wells Fargo put up artwork that desecrated the flag, and didn’t remove them after I found them offensive I’d be moving ALL my accounts elsewhere.
Given Canandaigua’s proximity to Ithaca (and Rochester and Syracuse for that matter) I would expect no less in ‘art’. Sigh, I can just see artists in the Southern Tier scrambling to get their protest art ready for summer display at art shows. (Must go paint something patriotic now...)
and her page: http://www.slmm.org/kcroucher/kcroucher.html
The explaination seems to be pro-American / anti-terror:
“it never occurred to me to be offended by my friend’s expression of the fact that America (its ideals) IS a target under attack with REAL bullets and REAL consequences by an enemy which uses cowardly and senseless terror as their primary instrument against innocent people with the object to tear asunder our values of liberty and justice for all, which are ideals that are all too fragile at this point in time, both at home and abroad.”
Is that just his interpretation of the art OR did his friend, the artist, tell him this was her intent?
Is that just his interpretation of the art OR did his friend, the artist, tell him this was her intent?
Interesting. Yeah, the artist could be covering her ... self. Tell him what he wants to hear and it stays on display. Maybe intentionally ambiguous. Left to the viewer, as much art is, but in this case one choice is patriotic, one - not so much.
Yes, interesting question.
An artwork is an artwork, and speaks for itself. Yet in this case the artist’s intention seems important. The bank president appears to be a patriot but also a personal friend of the artist.
Then there’s San Francisco in the works. It seems dubious whether a patriotic, conservative artist would do terribly well in San Francisco.
You could put up a tattered, shot-riddled flag on the wall, and it could be a symbol of bravery in battle. Or it could have been shot through by some drugged out postmodernist who hated it.
I find some dissonance between the bank president’s explanation and the artist’s attitude.
Which is it? Defies categorization. Or her job to enlighten us? She is so covering herself. Gag. Oh and I guess we should be thankful she is here to educate us on what we should categorize as unpleasant. (said with eyeroll)
They all look alike to me.
” with a statement by George Hamlin posted near it: “A First Amendment Right of Expression.” “
I bet if the artwork involved MLK wearing a dress, George’s support of the First Amendment would suddenly end.
I’m confused... Did the exhibit consist of an ACTUAL U.S. flag, with a bullet hole in it (which, unless it was a VERY large caliber bullet, wouldn’t really be that visible) - or was it a PICTURE of a U.S. flag?
I would think that only an actual flag can be desecrated - not a mere picture of a flag.
And 'Piss Christ' was pro-Christian. [/sarc]
The artist needs an Extreme Makeover. Maybe if she felt better about herself, she wouldn’t be so down on the country that protects her “rights” to hate her country and then lie about what she “meant” about the swastika on the flag.
Every hack artist out there thinks their work defies classification..
LOL, and it seems to generate interest with some, especially the idle rich - pretending to be the tortured soul exposing truths that people ‘don’t get’. See how lovely the emperor’s new clothes are!
-ccm
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.