Self-Censorship and Art

Returning to my earlier question of Where do you draw the line? I am interested in how artists, institutions and groups of artists censor themselves.

We all censor ourselves to some extent or another. Most anyone who thinks that he/she does not is lying to him/herself. I believe it stems from the fact that we are naturally social creatures and want to be accepted and please others, or at least not to be ostracized. Perhaps it was once a self-preservation instinct because we needed to be able to work together and act as a team in order to ensure our own survival. (Even now we still need to work together but industry has allowed us to ignore this to a larger extent than we were previously able because we have come to rely on machines and other things to do work for and with us rather than just one another.)

Artists may censor themselves because they don't want to expose their ideas to so broad an audience or because they want to be able to sell their work or find gallery representation. Most commercial galleries naturally censor themselves by showing work that appeals to and will sell to their audience. And many non-profits and art institutions will censor themselves to some extent or another in order to apply for grants and funding. So we are far from exempt, even in the arts where we are said to be able to freely express ourselves.

I may not censor myself as much as some artists, but I do feel that I must pick and choose my battles wisely. For all that I am not afraid of controversy, I try to be aware of my audience and the venue in which I am proposing work when looking for places to exhibit. So in this regard, I do censor myself. I have found that it becomes easier to say what's really on your mind and speak out about issues the more that you do it, but that it is always wise to consider your audience. Not that people's boundaries shouldn't be pushed, but I have found that if you push them too far all at once you become easier to dismiss. I feel I am better off "infiltrating the ranks" so to speak and then making my opinions and ideas known if I truly want to be heard.

I recently reread Cultural Pressure and Self Censorship by Eric Maisel from the December 2006 issue of Art Calendar. This article goes into detail about how self-censorship can actually inhibit the artist's ability to create as it does with the writer's ability to write. Artists can and will opt not to do things out of fear of reprisal. Like everyone else, we don't always want to draw attention to ourselves and realize that such attention can be dangerous. But this can prevent us from expressing ourselves fully and from taking ourselves and our art seriously. Maisel ends his article stating that, although there are legitimate reasons for self-censorship, "what serves you less well is to censor yourself when you actually do want to express yourself." I personally find that to be very very true.