Fine Art or Smut – that is the question

So I’m catching up on the latest headlines when I see this from AVN: AFA Levels Porn Charge at Sears. After reading the article it got me to thinking, what is the difference between fine art and smut? Why are some nudes worthy of study at college and other fully clothed art should be censored. Take for instance the famous Goya painting of a naked lady on the couch. Besides being hung in a museum and printed in art literature textbooks, you can buy a reproduction at Sears. Goya is considered on of the Masters in the art world. He painted the Nude Maja in the late 1700’s early 1800’s.

Now take this next picture and compare it to the Goya. Some people, like the crazies at AFA would consider this one Smut. However you can purchase this picture at Sears under the “Fine Art” category search. She is reclined on a couch just like the Goya, but this model is fully clothed NOT nude. This is not museum or textbook quality fine art, this is considered Smut that we should protect our children against it. Hmmm. Is it because it’s a photograph and not painted? But then again, Ansel Adams uses photography and not oils for his masterpieces.

Now let’s look at another Fine Art portrait hanging in a museum in Budapest. It was painted by renaissance artist Giulio Romano circa 1525-1528 titled, Lovers.

Now skip forward 500 years and this portrait, also titled Lovers, is considered Smut. And like the previous example, this one does NOT contain nudity like it’s fine art counterpart. This doesn’t even have to be considered sexual.These two ladies could be embracing in a hug for comfort. This piece leaves a lot to the imagination, whereas the masterpiece doesn’t. It is clearly an old guy fucking a young girl doggie style. But hey, it’s Fine Art and not Smut or pornography.

And how about the famous Botticelli painting, The Birth of Venus.

Take the same painting in a modern setting, and it is no longer considered a work of art, but a work of smut. And again, the model has on clothing!

The president of the AFA said, “These aren’t just posters of scantily-clad women. Some of them depict groups of people, lesbians and others engaged in ***ual activities. Very little is left to the imagination.”

Really? This guy clearly has nothing better to do with his time. The guy probably got busted looking a these girls on-line so decided to worm his way out of it. I just want to know what specific thing or things makes one artwork Fine Art and the other, almost identical yet more modest pieice, Smut that people would throw a big fit over? I want to to know if these people have ever taken their children to the local art mueseum? Or if they would consider taking their children to the Sistine Chapel if they were ever in Rome?  I don’t know about you, but I think that I would rather my children see all of these moderen artworks at the Sear’s website than the artworks hanging in the museums. So I say to all the people over at AFA and all the others with that same frame of mind, JUST SHUT THE HELL UP ALREADY!

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