Name: Removing painting Borders on censorship

Date:  1995 - 2005

Location:  North America

SubjectPolitical/Economic/Social Opinion

MediumPainting


Artist: unknown

Confronting Bodies: Borders Bookstore customers, artist and Borders general manager

Date of Action: March 2005

Specific Location: Borders Bookstore, York PA

Description of Artwork: A painting depicting President Bush as a puppet manipulated by his advisors.

Description of Incident: After three customers complained about the painting, the general manager of the Borders Bookstore decided to remove the painting from display, cutting short the month the artist's work was supposed to be presented. Borders claimed the removal was to "make every customer comfortable" and the store's policy is to ban "anything that is obviously offensive to the normal community standard."

Results of Incident: Other, non-complaining customers recognize the potential this standard has for the removal of nearly anything in the store that may offend a small group of the community.

Source: York Daily Record, www.ydr.com



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