Q: Would you support an art installation people would think was offensive? Highly political, sexual or pornographic?
Amber Hernandez, third-year art history major
“I feel like art in itself can be very powerful. I wouldn’t necessarily say I would support it because if it’s something I don’t like then why would I support it? If it’s something that doesn’t really align with the way I view art I’m not going to be supportive of something like that. But it doesn’t mean that I’m going to bash on it or criticize it. I think that anybody has the right to create whatever kind of art they want to create because it’s their own expression. I don’t want to be so black and white about things either but I think that if it invokes some sort of emotional response in me that is negative, that makes me feel uncomfortable than I would consider it something I wouldn’t support. If it makes me feel pleasant, if it makes me feel challenged, I wouldn’t necessarily say that I would support that either. I’d have to be in front of it to see it.”
Evelin Garcia, third-year psychology major
“I think because everyone has different perspectives I would support it. Some people might not think it’s offensive while others do believe [it] is offensive. More than anything, as long as it’s nothing stereotypical or affecting someone’s culture or making fun of them, I think that would definitely draw the line there.”
Troy Diez, first-year mechanical engineer major
“That all just kinda comes down to context. In a university setting particularly, Cal States are in a special situation where they receive government funding and they’re obligated to allow people to express their First Amendment rights, however, it kinda becomes different when that’s advertising specifically to students and that’s your student demographic and if students are to object to that and it starts causing political issues. Some could argue that by allowing other people to express their freedom of speech you have now put other students in a position where they feel threatened by that. I feel like most of the time by ignoring something you’re kind of showing to people that they’re people who actively don’t agree with you. But when you start voicing out against that, you’re kind of giving the response they’re trying to provoke.”
Matthew Hall, third-year mechanical engineering
“I think it really depends on the subject matter of the art piece because it could be open to any kind of interpretation. It could be really nice and without any intention of being controversial but some people might find it controversial anyway. If it has something to do with the beauty of anything, I don’t think I would mind at all.”