Ethel Cain

Nudity has always been a taboo subject and will probably continue to be long after my death, but that is what makes it such an appealing subject in art. To invoke such vulnerability is the right of any artist despite audience reactions. To be uncomfortable is to be human and the goal of art is to remind us of our humanity. Unfortunately I believe that many don't see trans people as human, otherwise it would be impossible to invoke such hatred on those you view as equals. It's sad to read the comments and be confronted with just how uncomfortable the existence of trans bodies makes some people, despite being no different than theirs.

The reaction to these images unfortunately reminds me of responses to things like Immersion(Piss Christ) by Andres Serrano. While different from the current situation, Piss Christ provoked a certainly visceral reaction from certain groups that led to death threats and the consequent cutting of the budget for the National Endowment for the Arts.

(Serrano also professed that he was a lifelong Catholic and had no intention of the blasphemy he was accused of.)

This goes to show that this isn't just a current issue and that artists have been fighting these types of things for decades. It's tragic to see creativity stifled and pushed further into “controversy”. Maybe some want all art to be like Kinkade, but if you are never challenged, what's the point of living at all? We would all just be stagnant and die with nothing to show for it, just to be forgotten as soon as you kiss the earth.

(Thomas Kinkade)