Sure why not

I CAN SEE IT. ITS ART! NOBODY IS GONNA PLEASE ERRBODY!

nope i agree with you it is offensive I don’t know anyone in their right mind that would put something like that plastered on the walls of their home.But i guess you’d have to know the source to see was it meant to be offensive, was it someone mocking our culture or was it someone who see this on a daily basis and just putting what a walk in the park is like for them i’d have to know the source it’s kind of like that n word coming out of our mouth it’s not offensive nor is it meant to be but out of another race mouth unacceptable. if you live it or lived thru it you have the right to speak on it but if your just a passer by or someone on the outside looking in you don’t really have that right it’s like talking about the ghetto and not being from it how could you possibly know.

Simple answer to your question is …wait for it…yes! The more complex answer is….hold on….STILL yes. There are very few strict guidelines over what actually constitutes art. One of those is that it must be a product of human creativity. That is one of the only concrete parameters that art must follow. Another is the use of a medium to represent that creativity. As long as it falls within those parameters then it is considered art.

I laid out that concrete definition of art because of the subjective nature of all of the rest of the innovation and media that fall within those parameters.

Art is expressive and as a product of human creativity must by definition be imbued with the human strengths and weaknesses of the artist working within a chosen medium. Racism is a concept that has been pertinent in human-kind as long as we have been able to be taxonomically defined as such.

Therefore, even if racism is not readily or overtly identifiable, does not mean that is not existent in the work of a certain artist. For the very reason that racism is something that cannot be separated from the human condition, it is ok for it to be represented in art.

Political correctness is not something that art is hindered by. If a person is creative and that creativity is offensive to some through the medium chosen or the subject represented then the discretion of the viewer of the work of art is always necessary to determine whether it is palatable to them or not.

It is not necessary for the artist to create works of art that are hampered by any other criteria other than the ones of human creativity and a certain expressible medium. Other than that it is nearly impossible for them to create something that is defined as art that will please everyone.

I think the one issue with this question is that the question itself is biased. How so? The questioner is asking about art that is overtly negatively portraying a negative stereotype that is offensive to a certain demographic and as a case in point uses a close up of the wallpaper above.

We must be advised that racism is not just overtly portraying a Black Man as being a threatening person. It is just as offensive and racist to others to portray Black People as “God’s Chosen” or having attributes that make them superior to others. These things can be portrayed overtly or covertly, deliberately or unwittingly as an expression of the artist.

It think it is even ok for a work of art to be created SOLELY for the purpose of portraying negative racial stereotypes. It is these aspects of the human condition that must not be hidden. They must be brought to light, and cleansed with that light, the light that comes from head on confrontation that leads to understanding.

It think that with more racist art, the human condition will change as it begins to understand that mindsets of the societies that produce the artists that express themselves in this manner. When the people are educated they change their society accordingly. This will inevitably lead to a change in the representation of the demographics in question because a rise in the social status through education will lead to a natural decrease in negative stereotypes and this will lead to less portrayal of those stereotypes. The cycle NEVER finishes however, it only changes and the pendulum swings.

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Thank you koolios2050. You hit it all on the head. I agree that it is okay for art to be okay, in the most general of contexts. However, I believe that the author of this blog is referring more to the acceptability of racism in art. All over the world, art has reflected every facet of social thought, whether it is religion, sexual orientation, race, and what have you. Racism has always been especially pervasive. Just look at the images of Christ, who is clearly described as having bronze colored skin in the Bible, still be portrayed as a lily-white man in the Vatican. Sure, some whites often argue that it could’ve meant a white man with a tan. The Vatican doesn’t have a white man with a tan either. Go figure. Should these art forms exist? Socially, no. Morally, yes. At least the hate is front and center where it can be talked about instead of hidden and festering over into violence.

NEWSONE, yall gonna have to do better with these damn blogs.

Yes, that particular wall paper design is racist. But more than that – it does not help cure, heal, educate or alter the mind set of those who may view it. It’s art in the sense that an artist was paid to actually design, draw, construct and build the art, The purpose of this kind of art is obviously not positive. Why does a product like this get developed in the first place? What could be the purpose for creating, printing, & distributing a product like this? Here’s something that is positive: http://artoniworld.com/c2andposse003.shtml. As human beings we must strive to do better. We’ve got to understand that every thing in this world teaches us something! We all must treat all cultures with respect.

What is there to be weirded out about or uncomfortable about? I see nothing but a bit of humor and when I spotted the big black guy pointing a gun to the frail white woman head, I thought it was just an eye catcher to bring about a certain emotion whether outrage or uncontrolable laughter. I guess it just depends on the viewer. One must have a deep sense of humor and understanding. I know it got a lot of viewers talking! I just think it can only wake people up. Now to what it wake them up to I have NO Clue!

who is to say it is racism towards what race

should be able to do what you want regarding art…. if you dont like it, dont look at it !!!

its about expression…. and the hueman mind has peaks of beauty and dephts of ugliness….

Art should evoke emotion…and get people talking. If you don’t like it don’t look at it…

Art cant be racist… If I see something with my eyes, does that make me racist as well, of course not. Art tells a story, some stories we like, some we dont, either way there is a story behind it. The “Creator” of the Art can be racist, but a depliction does not make u racist it makes u a visionary, based on the things u see. Me personally I dont like “White People” im not racist, I just dont like them, don’t mean that I dont “Love” them or that my mind is so far go to actually “Hate” them, but I would rather just disassociate myself to the point where there is no interaction. And if alot of Black people were smart they would do the same on the level of hanging out in place where u know trouble is near, u can have a good time with 10 people just as well as a 100, but if u not creative enough with your own self liking then u seek “the extra attention”

Thats why I dont like art. Not because it is not beautiful, but it makes so much more to the imagination than meets the eye. Being that we all are different our eyes never see the same things therefore its hard to come to the same conclusion, the bible teaches us to be led by faith and not by sight, in saying that, if u dont hear what the horse is saying, dont try to ride it, get an understanding then saddle up

Why didn’t the author of this post CONFRONT the people who create/sell the wallpaper, and ask then what was the meaning of it?

It was either COWARDICE or POOR, SLOPPY, WORK on Nazeen Pastels part!!!

it wont never be the same. everyone has thoughts and opinions that got them that way. we as a community should change ourselves first instead of others. he might have had a meaning to his art that no one would not understand.

wtf