Tuesday, December 28, 2010
Guv'ment Controversial, possibly racist paintings in state offices to come down, new ag commissioner says
Posted by Thomas Wheatley @thomaswheatley on Tue, Dec 28, 2010 at 8:47 AM
Remember the paintings hanging in the Georgia Department of Agriculture's downtown offices that generated some controversy last year? The ones by late local artist George Beattie that depict slaves picking and ginning cotton? The state agency's new commissioner says he plans to place them in storage. (View a gallery here.) Via Doug Richards at 11 Alive:
The public art in the Agriculture Department appears to be on a collision course with the world of politics. The Agriculture Department will get its first new commissioner in forty years next month. And part of his agenda is to get rid of George Beattie's art.The commissioner's right. Here's what the ag department needs: Oil paintings of migrant workers picking Vidalia onions on a farm co-owned by a politician who can be seen penning anti-immigrant legislation in his pick-up truck. That's Georgia agriculture today."I don't think they depict what Georgia's all about today," said Commissioner-elect Gary Black. He calls some of the paintings undesirable. Two of the seven paintings on display appear to depict slavery — without brutality or judgment.
Another painting shows an arguably-racy depiction of partially clothed Native Americans.
"There's a couple of pictures there that are just not acceptable today. And I think there's one with native Americans there, and I don't know what those scenes are of, but I know they're not of agriculture today," said Black.
All jokes aside, Lain Shakespeare of the Wren's Nest had a good take on the controversy when it first erupted: Educate visitors about the South's former practice of slavery.
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