(OPINION) A Christian religious liberty group is warning that an ongoing photography exhibit at a Texas museum could lead to the normalization of pedophilia and abuse after authorities reportedly seized obscene images from the exhibit.
Police have reportedly removed four photographs from the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth exhibit “Diaries of Home” by acclaimed photographer Sally Mann after a number of Republican officials alleged the exhibit was promoting child pornography, according to KERA, a National Public Radio-affiliated outlet in North Texas.
A Fort Worth police spokesman confirmed to The Christian Post Wednesday that an investigation is underway but would not provide any further details. This post will be updated if any additional details are disclosed.
“Diaries of Home” showcases the work of 13 women and LGBT-identified artists, including Nan Goldin and Carrie Mae Weems, and is described as exploring “multilayered concepts of family,
community, and home,” according to the museum’s website, which noted the exhibit also “features mature themes that may be sensitive for some viewers.”
While the exhibit includes work from multiple artists, it’s Mann’s photographs that have stirred public outrage.
Among the images in question are “Wet the Bed,” featuring a young, naked girl, asleep and lying in a puddle; “Popsicle Drips,” which depicts a young nude boy with liquid running down his body; and
“The Perfect Tomato,” which depicts a completely naked girl jumping on a table, according to The Danbury Institute, a religious liberty advocate based in Dallas.
In an open letter dated Dec. 28, Sharayah Colter, chief communications officer at The Danbury Institute, condemned the exhibit, calling it “disturbing, exploitative, and inappropriate.”
“These images are presented under the guise of art, but in reality, they sexualize children and exploit their innocence,” Colter wrote. “This exhibit should be called what it is: child pornography.”
Pointing to a museum plaque that described the exhibit as featuring children “naked, moody and in suggestive situations” in order to “evoke an edgy, dark side of childhood,” Colter said such a characterization is “morally unacceptable.”
“The exhibit as a whole effectively works to normalize pedophilia, child sexual abuse, the [LGBT] lifestyle, and the breakdown of the God-ordained definition of family,” she added.
On Jan. 8, Tarrant County Judge Tim O’Hare, among over 2,000 signatories to The Danbury Institute’s open letter, called the exhibit’s images “deeply disturbing” and urged law enforcement to take action. FULL REPORT
