Robert Mapplethorpe and Cincinnati: The Perfect Moment and the fight over censorship and obscenity. – Slate

Robert Mapplethorpe was one of the most famous photographers in the worldand one of the most controversial. When his work came to Cincinnati in 1990, it would be at the center of a vicious fight over obscenity and the First Amendment, one that threatened the future of art in America.

This episode of One Year was written by Evan Chung, One Years senior producer. It was produced by Kelly Jones and Evan Chung, with additional production by Olivia Briley.

It was edited by Josh Levin, One Years editorial director, with Joel Meyer and Derek John, Slates executive producer of narrative podcasts. Merritt Jacob is our senior technical director.

JoinSlate Plusto get a special behind-the-scenes conversation at the end of our season about how we put together our 1990 stories. Slate Plus members also get to listen to all Slate podcasts without any ads.

Sources for This Episode

Books

Bolton, Richard. Culture Wars: Documents from the Recent Controversies in the Arts, New Press, 1992.

Carr, C. On Edge: Performance at the End of the Twentieth Century, Wesleyan University Press, 2008.

De Grazia, Edward. Girls Lean Back Everywhere: The Law of Obscenity and the Assault on Genius, Vintage, 1993.

Marshall, Richard. Robert Mapplethorpe, Whitney Museum of Art, 1988.

Meyer, Richard. Outlaw Representation: Censorship and Homosexuality in Twentieth-Century American Art, Oxford University Press, 2002.

Smith, Patti. Just Kids, Ecco, 2010.

Articles

Adams, Henry. Thirty Years After The Perfect Moment, CAN Journal, November 2020.

Adler, Amy. The Shifting Law of Sexual Speech: Rethinking Robert Mapplethorpe, University of Chicago Legal Forum, December 2020.

Andry, Al. Arts Case Strategy Perplexes Experts, Cincinnati Post, Oct. 3, 1990.

Andry, Al. Police Will Review Mapplethorpe, Cincinnati Post, March 23, 1990.

Anti-Mapplethorpe Strategy Began at March 7 Meeting, Cincinnati Post, March 28, 1990.

Barrie, Dennis. The Scene of the Crime, Art Journal, Autumn 1991.

Batson, Larry. Cincinnati Museum Still Under Siege From Keep-It-Clean Forces, Star Tribune, June 17, 1990.

Bermudez, Frederick. CAC Supporters to Face Charges, Cincinnati Enquirer, Sept. 25, 1990.

Bolton, Douglas and Sharon Moloney. Will Art Fury Hurt the City?, Cincinnati Post, March 30, 1990.

Burns, Michael. Cincinnati: Anti-Porn Capital, UPI, Oct. 19, 1986.

Dunne, Dominick. Robert Mapplethorpes Proud Finale, Vanity Fair, February 1989.

Cembalest, Robin. The Obscenity Trial: How They Voted to Acquit, ARTnews, December 1990.

City of the Year: Cincinnati, Sports Illustrated, Dec. 31, 1990.

Dennis, Debra. Art Critic Goes to Bat for Photos in Court, Cincinnati Post, Oct. 3, 1990.

Dennis, Debra. Photo Show Verdict: Not Guilty, Cincinnati Post, Oct. 6, 1990.

Dobush, Grace. 25 Years Later: Cincinnati and the Obscenity Trial Over Mapplethorpe Art, Washington Post, Oct. 24, 2015.

Faherty, John and Carol Motsinger. Pornography or Art? Cincinnati Decided, Cincinnati Enquirer, March 28, 2015.

Findsen, Owen. Controversy Brought Crowds, Cincinnati Enquirer, May 26, 1990.

Findsen, Owen. Group Wants Center to Cancel Photo Show, Cincinnati Enquirer, March 21, 1990.

Findsen, Owen. Museum Chief Prepares for Mapplethorpe, Cincinnati Enquirer, Feb. 13, 1990.

Findsen, Owen. Perfect Moments Time Arrives, Cincinnati Enquirer, April 6, 1990.

Findsen, Owen. Police to View Mapplethorpe Exhibit, Cincinnati Enquirer, March 24, 1990.

Findsen, Owen. Ruling that CAC Is Not a Museum Jolts Art World, Cincinnati Enquirer, June 21, 1990.

Fox, John. Then and Now: Mapplethorpe CAC, Cincinnati CityBeat, March 30, 2000.

Gamarekian, Barbara. Mapplethorpe Backers Picket the Corcoran and Plan New Shows, New York Times, June 17, 1989.

Glueck, Grace. Publicity Is Enriching Mapplethorpe Estate, New York Times, April 6, 1990.

Grundberg, Andy. The Allure of Mapplethorpes Photographs, New York Times, July 31, 1988.

Harrison, Eric. Sides Square Off for Mapplethorpe Photo Trial, Los Angeles Times, Sept. 23, 1990.

Hartigan, Patti. The Picture of Innocence, Boston Globe, Aug. 3, 1990.

Honan, William H. Congressional Anger Threatens Arts Endowments Budget, New York Times, June 20, 1989.

Horn, Dan. Post Poll: 59% Say Let Show Go On, Cincinnati Post, April 13, 1990.

Kastor, Elizabeth. Funding Art That Offends, Washington Post, June 7, 1989.

Kaufman, Ben L. Judge Refuses to Dismiss Indictments, Cincinnati Enquirer, June 20, 1990.

Kaufman, Ben L. Judge to Police: Keep Hands Off Exhibit, Cincinnati Enquirer, April 9, 1990.

Lobb, Monty, Jr. The Side of Virtue and Dignity, Cincinnati Enquirer, March 30, 1990.

Mapplethorpe: One Year Later, Cincinnati Enquirer, April 6, 1991.

Masters, Kim. Art Gallery Not Guilty of Obscenity, Washington Post, Oct. 6, 1990.

Masters, Kim. Defense Rests in Mapplethorpe Art Trial, Washington Post, Oct. 4, 1990.

Masters, Kim. Jurors View Photos of Children, Washington Post, Oct. 3, 1990.

McLeod, Douglas M. and Jill A. MacKenzie. Print Media and Public Reaction to the Controversy Over NEA Funding for Robert Mapplethorpes The Perfect Moment Exhibit, Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly, June 1998.

Merrill, Elizabeth M. Zaha Hadids Center for Contemporary Art and the Perils of New Museum Architecture, Criticism, 2019.

Mezibov, Marc. The Mapplethorpe Obscenity Trial, Litigation, Summer 1992.

Moloney, Sharon. As Show Leaves, Debate Rages On, Cincinnati Post, May 26, 1990.

Moloney, Sharon. Perfect Image Clashes with Citys, Foes Say, Cincinnati Post, March 29, 1990.

Moloney, Sharon and Al Salvato. Police View Mapplethorpe, Cincinnati Post, April 2, 1990.

Moore, Kevin. Whipping Up a Storm: How Robert Mapplethorpe Shocked America, the Guardian, Nov. 17, 2015.

Moores, Lew. Photos Condone Behavior, Witness Says, Cincinnati Enquirer, Oct. 5, 1990.

ONeill, Cliff. The Mapplethorpe Mess, OutWeek, July 3, 1989.

Palmer, Alex. When Art Fought the Law and the Art Won, Smithsonian Magazine, Oct. 2, 2015.

Prendergast, Jane. 4,000 Pack Photo Exhibit, Cincinnati Enquirer, April 7, 1990.

Prendergast, Jane. Arts Center, Director Indicted, Cincinnati Enquirer, April 8, 1990.

Prendergast, Jane. Funding Given Up by CAC, Cincinnati Enquirer, March 26, 1990.

Siebert, Mark and Lew Moores. Lewd, But Art, Jurors Say, Cincinnati Enquirer, Oct. 7, 1990.

Sischy, Ingrid. White and Black, the New Yorker, Nov. 5, 1989.

Span, Paula. The Childrens Portraits: Innocence or Pornography?, Washington Post, May 3, 1990.

Stein, Jerry. High Noon for Mapplethorpe Show, Cincinnati Post, April 6, 1990.

Sturmon, Sarah and Sharon Moloney. Mapplethorpe Suit Jolts City, County, Cincinnati Post, March 29, 1990.

Uzelac, Ellen. Mapplethorpe Trial Puts Cincinnati on Art MapBut Town Talks About Baseball, Baltimore Sun, Sept. 27, 1990.

Vaccariello, Linda. A Lion in Winter, Cincinnati Magazine, February 1997.

Vester, John W., William J. Gerhardt, and Mark Snyder. Mapplethorpe in Cincinnati, Cincinnati Enquirer, March 24, 1990.

Wilkerson, Isabel. Cincinnati Art Gallery and Director to Stand Trial, New York Times, June 20, 1990.

Wilkerson, Isabel. When a Crusade Is a Career, New York Times, April 14, 1990.

Audiovisual

Damned in the U.S.A, dir. Paul Yule, 1993.

Perversion for Profit, Citizens for Decent Literature, 1963.

Robert Mapplethorpe, dir. Nigel Finch, Arena, BBC, 1988.

Footage of the visitor reactions at the Contemporary Arts Center on April 8, 1990 was filmed by Bart Everson and Michael Northam.

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Robert Mapplethorpe and Cincinnati: The Perfect Moment and the fight over censorship and obscenity. - Slate