Racism in Mormon Art?

[_Gadianton]

A couple of weekend thoughts as I've continued my study of Mormon art.



Here's your typical wholesome Mormon family sharing a Saturday -- not Sunday! -- in the park. Oh wait a second, they aren't Mormon! They are the happy, wholesome, delightful, simple, pure, and fun-loving products of Soviet totalitarianism! Mormons might not have known they had such stiff family-value competition from the other side of the globe. From a society Ezra Taft Benson famously described as shackled down by their oppressive politics.



Here's an interesting one. People from around the world gathering while the tractor presides. I was fascinated with this painting, but it took me a few minutes of study to pinpoint the source of that fascination. I think I was surprised at the racial inclusiveness of the socialist vision as depicted by soviet artists. And then it struck me that in the many examples of Mormon paintings I had viewed earlier, I couldn't recall any depicting multi-racial festivities. Now, I certainly haven't examined a huge cross-section of Mormon paintings, but I've looked at about the same number of socialist works and the "international friendship" theme is fairly common, often celebrating the cultural dress of other races more so than in this painting. It's interesting that these socialist works during the sixities or earlier, acknowledge ethnic diversity within their totalitarian vision while the contemporary totalitarian Mormon art many years after the ban has been lifted looks awful "white".

[_beastie]

Yes, Mormon art generally depicted white and delightsome folks. Err, let me make that pure and delightsome folks. But, if their TV commercials are any indication, that is changing now.

So, just like with most other positive changes in LDSism, they're just a few decades behind the larger society.

Perhaps soviet art was always more inclusive because of their basic theme, which was class oppression, which obviously included minorities?

[_Mister Scratch]

Yes, Mormon art generally depicted white and delightsome folks. Err, let me make that pure and delightsome folks. But, if their TV commercials are any indication, that is changing now.

So, just like with most other positive changes in LDSism, they're just a few decades behind the larger society.

Perhaps soviet art was always more inclusive because of their basic theme, which was class oppression, which obviously included minorities?

One of my siblings knows an editor in SLC who used to work for some Church- or BYU-related publication, and this editor resigned in disgust after he was asked to lighten the skin of the non-white people via Photoshop. (I think that's correct; it was either that, or he was being asked to use photoshop to insert people of color into pictures where none had previously been.)

[_Gazelam]

Scratch,

Is it possible that the lighting in the picture would have made it difficult to see them when the page went to print, so they were asked to be lightened so that you could make out their definition better? Your obviously not going to be able to make them look white, as you seem to be implying.

[_beastie]

Is it possible that the lighting in the picture would have made it difficult to see them when the page went to print, so they were asked to be lightened so that you could make out their definition better? Your obviously not going to be able to make them look white, as you seem to be implying.

Where in the heck do YOU live? Someplace with no minorities?

There are plenty of minorities who could pass for Caucasian if the only alteration made was lightning skin color, and vice versa.

Helpful hint: don't use BY's descriptions of african americans to imagine what they look like. :P

[_bcspace]

They are the happy, wholesome, delightful, simple, pure, and fun-loving products of Soviet totalitarianism!

Except that Soviet totalitarianism never was able to produce such products. Satan promises only what God through His Church can give.

I think I was surprised at the racial inclusiveness of the socialist vision as depicted by soviet artists. And then it struck me that in the many examples of Mormon paintings I had viewed earlier, I couldn't recall any depicting multi-racial festivities.

Assuming, for the sake of discussion, that 'Mormon art' is all white, how does that qualify as racism?

[_Gazelam]

Helpful hint: don't use BY's descriptions of african americans to imagine what they look like. :P

I don't use Brigham Young, I use 1940's Bugs Bunny and Superman cartoons.

Superman: http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid ... 1713078755

Bugs Bunny: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Im27FD077zk

[_The Nehor]

Yes, Mormon art generally depicted white and delightsome folks. Err, let me make that pure and delightsome folks. But, if their TV commercials are any indication, that is changing now.

So, just like with most other positive changes in LDSism, they're just a few decades behind the larger society.

Perhaps soviet art was always more inclusive because of their basic theme, which was class oppression, which obviously included minorities?

One of my siblings knows an editor in SLC who used to work for some Church- or BYU-related publication, and this editor resigned in disgust after he was asked to lighten the skin of the non-white people via Photoshop. (I think that's correct; it was either that, or he was being asked to use photoshop to insert people of color into pictures where none had previously been.)

So you have no idea whether they wanted more diversity or less. That would make that a pointless anecdote wouldn't it?

In the 80's and 90's when I grew up the videos and seminary material was racially diverse.

[_Gazelam]

Waters of Mormon by Walter Rane

[_Gadianton]

They are the happy, wholesome, delightful, simple, pure, and fun-loving products of Soviet totalitarianism!

Except that Soviet totalitarianism never was able to produce such products. Satan promises only what God through His Church can give.

I think I was surprised at the racial inclusiveness of the socialist vision as depicted by soviet artists. And then it struck me that in the many examples of Mormon paintings I had viewed earlier, I couldn't recall any depicting multi-racial festivities.

Assuming, for the sake of discussion, that 'Mormon art' is all white, how does that qualify as racism?

Actually you're wrong, only a system that doesn't alienate its labor can produce such products. Another throw-away "bcspace begging the question" moment.