Musings from the Merse
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Bordering on the ?
The Borders Party raises its profile with this letter to the Berwickshire News
SIR, - Politicians must not be cowed by political correctness, so may I, as a councillor, give my views on the exhibition, Made in God’s Image, which enraged so many?
Am I a Christian? Yes. I’m also passionate about art having spent four years at the Central School of Art and Design.
The Bible with “F*** the Bible” written in the margin, and the video of a girl sticking pages torn from the Bible down her pants and bra were clearly enough to make people livid. But this sort of “art” has often been used to bait religious people, and the best thing to do is ignore it.
The trouble is this exhibition cannot be ignored, because it was publicly funded. If Glasgow Council intended to support the gay community then they have spectacularly messed up.
As well as causing great offence to Christians, Jews and Muslims, untold harm has been done to the way the gay community is perceived. Importantly, reactions to this exhibition were entirely predictable.
Glasgow City Council has seriously failed in its duty to promote good relations between people of different groups and should be dragged before the Public Services Ombudsman for gross misuse of public money.
The Charity Regulator might also be interested. Culture and Sport Glasgow, the arm of Glasgow Council which funded the exhibition, is a charity which controls Glasgow’s unparalleled portfolio of Common Good assets. Funding such an abusive exhibition clearly breaches the requirement that charities should provide public benefit. Attempting to justify this spending the charity’s chief executive, Dr Bridget McConnell, (wife of Jack, the former First Minister), spouted the sort of pseudo-intellectual rubbish that should have no place in local government.
By contrast our arts officers at Scottish Borders Council take an honest approach and have consistently encouraged real art. Let’s keep it that way.
COUNCILLOR NICHOLAS WATSON,
Leader of the Borders Party,
Without necessarily dissenting from the sentiments expressed I wonder how wise it is, if Councillor Watson feels so strongly about the event, to give it free publicity? Might there not be an ugly rush from some parts of the Borders to have a gawk and a giggle?
If Eyemouth empties this pm you may guess at the reason.
And had Reston station been reopened.......?
If you can't afford the fare to Glasga' you can read abouthe exhibition here Certainly its stated intentions seem a long way from the Councillor's interpretation of what is on display.
The Borders Party raises its profile with this letter to the Berwickshire News
SIR, - Politicians must not be cowed by political correctness, so may I, as a councillor, give my views on the exhibition, Made in God’s Image, which enraged so many?
Am I a Christian? Yes. I’m also passionate about art having spent four years at the Central School of Art and Design.
The Bible with “F*** the Bible” written in the margin, and the video of a girl sticking pages torn from the Bible down her pants and bra were clearly enough to make people livid. But this sort of “art” has often been used to bait religious people, and the best thing to do is ignore it.
The trouble is this exhibition cannot be ignored, because it was publicly funded. If Glasgow Council intended to support the gay community then they have spectacularly messed up.
As well as causing great offence to Christians, Jews and Muslims, untold harm has been done to the way the gay community is perceived. Importantly, reactions to this exhibition were entirely predictable.
Glasgow City Council has seriously failed in its duty to promote good relations between people of different groups and should be dragged before the Public Services Ombudsman for gross misuse of public money.
The Charity Regulator might also be interested. Culture and Sport Glasgow, the arm of Glasgow Council which funded the exhibition, is a charity which controls Glasgow’s unparalleled portfolio of Common Good assets. Funding such an abusive exhibition clearly breaches the requirement that charities should provide public benefit. Attempting to justify this spending the charity’s chief executive, Dr Bridget McConnell, (wife of Jack, the former First Minister), spouted the sort of pseudo-intellectual rubbish that should have no place in local government.
By contrast our arts officers at Scottish Borders Council take an honest approach and have consistently encouraged real art. Let’s keep it that way.
COUNCILLOR NICHOLAS WATSON,
Leader of the Borders Party,
Without necessarily dissenting from the sentiments expressed I wonder how wise it is, if Councillor Watson feels so strongly about the event, to give it free publicity? Might there not be an ugly rush from some parts of the Borders to have a gawk and a giggle?
If Eyemouth empties this pm you may guess at the reason.
And had Reston station been reopened.......?
If you can't afford the fare to Glasga' you can read abouthe exhibition here Certainly its stated intentions seem a long way from the Councillor's interpretation of what is on display.
Labels: Art in the Borders, Borders Party, Made in God's Image
Comments:
Aesthetics is not on Big Jim 300 word vocabulary except he thinks its some thing to do with the next Olympics
I don't think we need fear a stampede to Glasgow from the type of folk you suggest. The word 'art' is, after all, attached. *Glooms*
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