Critical debates: Sexism, Censorship and Politics in Manchester

Sonia Boyce’s exhibition at the Manchester Art Gallery (MAG) gained interest after, in late January, the gallery took down one of its best-known works, Hylas and the Nymphs (1896) by John William Waterhouse, as part of a series of activities in Boyce’s evening “takeover”, a regular event at the gallery. The evening would be the basis of her new six-screen film and wallpaper installation Six Acts (2018). But the painting’s removal became isolated from the evening’s other moments and a row about censorship erupted, largely stripped of any context.

It raised many questions about how women are defined by their sexuality in painting and in art in general, as this painting was specifically chosen to be put down because of it, which fits amazingly well into my research for camera girls and online relationships. I was initially interested in traditional paintings of women with fruit weren’t necessarily sexual, but definitely suggested it, and how emojis have progressed from this, as young people especially use food emojis to visualise sexual conversations. We see the Nymphs tempt a man to his death, which is a common theme in art and literature, just like Eve tempted Adam with an apple, always causing suffering, violence or death. The female is also always using her body and sexuality to do the tempting. Boyce’s main intention was to “prompt conversation”, which it very well did.

Jonathan Jones, a writer from The Guardian, wrote on the 31st of January 2018 that taking down the painting will in fact kill any conversation about it, which was seen as hypocritical since he himself was reacting and writing about its removal.

It also raised the question of perhaps removal of the Victorian painting assumes that we are past this view on women,whereas we maybe aren’t, therefore the painting could still be reflecting our time as we’re not actually too different.

After debating these, we thought about how we could challenge the painting if it was kept up? Perhaps by curating it with contemporary paintings with contemporary views on women? Having a critical written piece under the painting?

Tom Hunter’s Resovoire, 2002, is inspired by the Waterhouse piece, and slightly changes its sexual dynamic. The “Nymphs” are now fully grown women who look like average women, making the scene more comfortable than the original because it used prepubescent girls. The women are also humanised because not all are focused on the man, as there are two behind him on land, and one is actually looking at the audience which puts her in a position of power over the scene. In this remake, women are also taking less space in the picture, making the place seem more important. It’s also named after the location, emphasising this. This could be because the location is far less inviting and mystical compared with the original, making it even less erotic.