Art Inspired by September 11th

It's been over a year now since the World Trade Towers fell on September 11, 2001 and many people are still trying to deal with the devastation. Some people have decided to deal with their grief - like New York artist, Eric Fischl - through art, music or other creative expression. But where do we draw the line on what's art and what's just plain offensive?

Eric Fischl is the artist responsible for the sculpture Tumbling Woman displayed in Rockefeller Center in New York. Tumbling Woman is supposed to be representative of all those people who either jumped or fell from the Trade Towers. The sculpture drew a ton of criticism and was soon hidden behind curtains and then removed. While some people say this art project was incredibly insensitive, Eric Fischl stands by his sculpture.

"The sculpture was not meant to hurt anybody," Fischl said in a statement. "It was a sincere expression of deepest sympathy for the vulnerability of the human condition. Both specifically towards the victims of Sept. 11 and towards humanity in general."

A similar art display also caused controversy at the Jamaica Center for Arts in New York recently. This time it was a project of Sharon Paz's. The display, called Falling, was made up of cutouts of falling bodies of various shapes and forms stuck to the windows of the gallery. The piece was supposed to stay up until October 1, 2002 but was taken down on September 23, 2002 after complaints from staff and patrons.

Both artists claim to be trying to help the people of New York heal with these art projects. But how does a statue of a naked woman falling to her death help anyone? Wouldn't it be better to celebrate those people's lives in a less graphic, less morbid way? I'm sure those people do not want to be remembered for their less than glorious end.

The Pentagon has chosen a piece of artwork titled "Freedom" by Kerry Swank in light of September 11th. Her piece was made five months before the attacks on the Trade Towers but its subject is a perfect example of what the people of America should be celebrating and remembering about the United States.

I don't think that it should have been removed. You ask how "Tumbling Woman" can help anyone and wouldn't it be better to celebrate in a less morbid way? You're missing the point of the sculpture. It demonstrates human fragility and confronts tragedy head on. We can't just close our eyes and forget about 9/11. Doing so would just be burying more denial about the tragedy. Art shouldn't just be about the good stuff in life; the bad exists, too. The purpose of art is to portray one's thoughts or reactions (in this case, to the attacks), and the sculpture does just that. It surprises me that it was removed for being too effective.

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What do you think about these art pieces? Should they have been removed or kept on display? Send in your thoughts and we'll post 'em up!

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