Another sort of gay bashing? Artwork at L.A.'s Craft and Folk Art Museum is vandalized

It’s been a good week for gay marriage supporters in California, but not so good for two handsome plastic grooms. A sculpture on display at the Craft and Folk Art Museum in Los Angeles meant to look like a wedding cake topped by the beaming couple was vandalized on Tuesday.

“The two guys were unfortunately torn off and thrown about the gallery along with some other embellishments,” says Eilen R. Stewart, the museum's exhibitions and publicity coordinator. “Whether this was done by someone who had heard that the judge’s ruling was coming or someone who was just expressing their anger, we don’t know."

She says that a large group of high school students were visiting that day, but the museum has " no reason to think it was done by one of them instead of one of our other patrons." There are no security tapes to review.

Artist Susan Tibbles originally made the assemblage, consisting of found objects, as an illustration for a 2008 L.A. Times opinion piece by Nancy Polikoff, “Marriage Isn’t the Half of It." The artwork reached the Craft and Folk Art Museum as part of a group show, “Some Assembly Required: Race, Gender and Globalization.”

The museum plans to ship the work back to the artist for repair, hoping it can go back on view before the show closes on Sept. 12. In the meantime, the artist and museum both are still trying to make sense of the violent act. 

“I was surprised this happened,” says Tibbles. “It’s just a sweet little cake with a little message on it--well, a big message I think. For me the upsetting thing is thinking that it might be an 18-year old who did this. It makes you wonder what we are teaching our kids.”

For her part, Stewart has a more positive spin. "Yes, it was a negative action, but in a way it's a compliment to Susan's artwork that it inspired such emotion. How often do you put something on display that drives someone to action?"

--Jori Finkel

Twitter.com/jorifinkel

RECENT AND RELATED

Colorful elation and sullen disappointment follow Prop. 8 ruling

Comments

[Dan]

Hate-crimes, vandalism, bullying and high suicide rates of student who identify themselves as gay or who are labelled as gay by their peers clearly show that members of the society who are gay or perceived to be gay are subject to murder, assault, threats and harassment. The rule of law and the protection of innocent victims from dangerous crimes is a core role of government. This shows that Justice Anthony Kennedy was absolutely right. He has written some of the most significant libertarian opinions of the last century: Romer v Evans and Lawrence v Texas. Discrimination and hate-crimes based merely on sexual orientation (or even the perception of a same-sex orientation) continue to undermine the rule of law and the concept of liberty and freedom which clearly benefits society. The Supreme Court should follow the historic opinions of Justice Kennedy since they don't just benefit those who engage in same-sex acts, but also those who are perceived to be gay and equally important, it defends the overarching concept of freedom and liberty. Once we give up fringe liberties, we are on a slippery slope to a serious erosion of freedom and liberties.

[Jay]

Nobody teaches 18-year-old boys to be mean, cruel, violent and homophobic. That's their natural state. The trick is taking advantage of them until they grow out of it. Military service, for example.

[woof-woof]

That's art? Still, you shouldn't damage things that don't belong to you, no matter how inane.

[Donald Frazell]

No one teaches boys to be gay. Thats their natural state. The trick is putting them somewhere harmless til they grow out of their self absorption and hormonal rages. Art school for example.
Though the performing arts have been the traditional way, and designers. Still the best, art schools have been ruined. And so terrible illustrations of absurd ideas as above.

art collegia delenda est