Cheering Contemporary Art’s ‘Death Throes’

Re “Victory, but No Relief,” Nov. 4: After reading Allan Parachini’s interview with Dennis Barrie of the Cincinnati Contemporary Arts Center, it’s clear to me that cultural elitists such as Barrie who control the art world today are completely out of touch. These charlatans are trying to hoodwink Americans (and our spineless Congress) into believing that pornography is art. It won’t work. We’re on to them.

Barrie’s preposterous assertion that freedom of expression is at stake (yes, he even used that tired, old fallback) is itself further proof that the contemporary art world is in its final death throes. Good riddance.

Pornographic photos by nasty little men like Robert Mapplethorpe are not art. And contrary to Mr. Barrie’s view, what’s really at stake here is Americans’ right to call a spade a spade. Our refusal to fund this trash is no more censorship than our refusal to patronize the dirty peep shows these museums call art exhibits.

CRAIG TORSTENBO, Upland