New Book Examines 1980s and 1990s US Culture Wars
··2 min read
Theater director and critic Isaac Butler's forthcoming book, The Perfect Moment: God, Sex, Art, and the Birth of America's Culture Wars, delves into the contentious period of the 1980s and 1990s, when conservative groups and politicians targeted various forms of art and expression in the United States. The book is scheduled for release in 2026.
The publication comes at a time when right-wing legislators, politicians, and organizations are once again focusing on arts and culture, echoing the tactics used during the Culture Wars of the 1980s and 1990s. Butler, who did not experience these earlier conflicts firsthand, draws parallels between past and present events.
One of the key events discussed in the book is the controversy surrounding the exhibition of Philip Guston's work in 2020. Several prominent museums, including the Tate Modern, the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, the Museum of Fine Arts in Houston, and the National Gallery of Art, postponed the exhibition due to concerns that Guston's paintings referencing the Ku Klux Klan might be misinterpreted by the public.
Butler's book also explores the challenges faced by filmmaker Martin Scorsese during the production of The Last Temptation of Christ in 1988. The primary obstacle was Reverend Donald Wildmon, who used mass mailings to rally Christians against the film on behalf of his National Federation for Decency. Wildmon's tactics are also discussed in the context of Andres Serrano's controversial photograph 'Piss Christ' (1987), which depicts a plastic crucifix submerged in a beaker of the artist's urine. The artwork sparked significant controversy, including a dramatic protest by then-Senator Alfonse D'Amato, who tore a reproduction of the catalog image in half on the Senate floor in 1989.
Another pivotal moment highlighted in the book is the cancellation of The Perfect Moment, a Robert Mapplethorpe retrospective, by the Corcoran Gallery of Art in Washington, DC. By the mid-1980s, Mapplethorpe's AIDS diagnosis had become public, adding to the controversy surrounding his work. The cancellation sparked a national debate about censorship and artistic freedom.
Context/Background: The resurgence of right-wing efforts to influence arts and culture in the United States underscores the ongoing relevance of the issues addressed in Butler's book. By examining the tactics and events of the 1980s and 1990s, the publication aims to provide insights into the current landscape and the potential impact on artistic expression and freedom.
