COVER STORY : What’s good taste? What is art? What’s real? Who owns America?

BELLA LEWITZKY

The choreographer turned down a grant from--and filed suit against--the National Endowment for the Arts in protest of a requirement that grantees sign an anti-obscenity oath.

What is art?

Someone with very little art experience might say, ‘Art is something that entertains me.’ A politician might say, ‘Art is dispensable.’ I would define it as that which has not been created before and is created--a form of creativity which is highly communicative, personal and reflects the culture in which it grew.

Who decides?

It’s changing from what it might have been a decade ago. I’m thinking back to a period of time when a person practicing art would say, ‘Anything I say is art is art.’ And that produced a field of happenings, events, and art which pressed the boundaries of what had been the definition earlier.

Who pays?

Today, when artists wish to perform an art which they feel describes of society, they find themselves being ostracized because we have reached a point where one must produce safe art. It isn’t how you define art but what kind of art you practice that is under scrutiny. That can kill art faster than we could imagine.

DAVID HENRY HWANG

The playwright helped initiate the controversy over the American production of “Miss Saigon” by protesting the casting of an Anglo actor to portray a Eurasian character.

What’s real?

What I’m most interested in is the increasing willingness of the arts community to explore things from other than a Eurocentric perspective. Particularly in a country where Caucasians are becoming a plurality rather than majority, it’s an important reality that’s being expressed.

Who knows?

Minority communities have always known that reality is more complex than the way the arts have traditionally expressed it. Mainstream America is reacting by embracing or calling up a more reactionary response, to go back to an apartheid past.

Who cares?

We all care about how we see ourselves as Americans and who has control and power over that. To the extent that the arts reflect that, more Americans are starting to care.

SINEAD O’CONNOR

Irish pop singer who was criticized for protesting the playing of the National Anthem before her concert in New Jersey.

What’s good taste?

I don’t think there’s any such thing as good or bad taste. Certain records can be seen as being in bad taste like hip-hop records that are misogynistic or violent, but those are reflective of life for some people, so instead of cutting off the records we should go to the root of the problem. I suppose some people would say bad taste is being reminded through records of things they don’t want to be reminded of.

Who decides?

In America? God, I don’t really know. A lot of the authorities try, but invariably they don’t win, as in the case of 2 Live Crew. I would hope that the people who make the decision are those who buy records or go to exhibitions or read books. It is up to them and not anyone else.

I’m very worried about censorship, or not worried, but outraged, certainly. I suppose it’s more a case of us all making sure we don’t become afraid to express ourselves and not be concerned about what other people think about it.

LUTHER CAMPBELL

Owner of Luke’s Records and leader of 2 Live Crew, which in October was acquitted of charges stemming from their performance of material from an album that had been ruled obscene in Florida’s Broward County.

Who owns America?

The Japanese. They’re buying all the golf courses and that’s where Americans spend their time--the people who used to own America.

Why worry?

Everybody else is worrying, not me. I’m trying to get paid, do the right thing. I wasn’t born with anything, so whatever I get over my lunch money is a plus. I have to fight everybody--white folks, black folks, Chinese folks, especially in Miami, Cuban folks. As far as being competitive I have to fight everybody.

America doesn’t want to see this young black man succeed because there are a lot of others to follow and America won’t have just the Japanese to worry about. And we’re strong in numbers.

Why not?

(The Japanese) will never own me. I shouldn’t say that--money talks. But no, they’ll never own me. I have a problem with people coming in buying everything. I’ll be the last American to bring the flag. At least then they’ll know I’m a true blue American, no sell-out.