How Important Is Censorship In Art

Picture yourself in an art museum. Numerous pieces adorn the walls and halls, however there is something strange about them: none of them make you feel anything. Imagine not feeling any emotion about any work of art in that museum. Or even more extreme, imagine every artist losing the ability to completely express their creativity, leaving all works of art emotionless. What would happen if art didn’t make us feel sad, happy, angry, scared, or even uncomfortable? Wouldn’t that defeat the purpose of art? Censorship is defined as the examination of literature, film, or works of art and the removal of anything that is considered to be offensive, immoral, or harmful to society (Merriam-Webster). It is a constant problem within the art community as many creators believe it inhibits their creativity. Censorship has the power to limit the freedom of expression in art and as a result can devalue the emotional power or message that a piece contains. …show more content…
It takes away from the artist’s original message. Art is supposed to make the audience experience some sort of feeling. It is meant to bring out an opinion or an emotion. A viewer doesn’t have to love or hate a piece of art. It could make them question previous beliefs, get them to think about another idea, explore various perspectives, or make them challenge the piece as a whole. John Updike once said, “What art offers is space-a certain breathing room for the spirit” (John Updike). Art allows a person to explore their inner-self, their emotions, beliefs, and values, and will hopefully encourage and inspire them to express their own opinions and feelings or challenge what they believe to be true. If art is censored, these ideas may not be evoked in a