What is art, exactly? It’s a question that has delighted and tormented humanity for hundreds of years, and we still don’t really have an answer. That’s because art is about the most subjective thing there is. Every one of us has a different idea of what constitutes art, because it’s always some unique combination of beauty, entertainment, and something that’s emotionally relevant or makes a comment about the world or human nature. For some, art is only truly art if it’s thought-provoking or at least a little shocking. And it’s for that last reason that a mural in New York City that existed all too briefly over the holidays meets the definition of “art.”
Swedish artist Carolina Falkholt recently erected (ha) a four-story-tall mural on Broome St. in New York’s Lower East Side neighborhood. Commissioned by a street art collection called The New Allen, Falkholt’s work was a bit of a departure. “I usually paint giant vaginas, p******, and c****,” Falkholt said to The Guardian. She actually had just made a five-story tall mural of female genitalia, and so she needed to do something different. That’s why the four-story-tall mural on Broome St. is a giant painting of a penis at, uh, full attention.
And this isn’t some kind of abstract image that “suggests” a big johnson; Falholt’s work is pretty much photo-realistic. (The image is below, and it’s very NSFW if your office isn’t cool with murals or naked penises.)
A not-so-shocking reaction to that sort-of-shocking piece of art: Many locals who live and work near the giant phallus aren’t too happy about this instance of art happening everywhere. “While I happen to love and appreciate street art,” resident Naomi Pena wrote in an email to The New Allen, “your latest commissioned display is the most disgusting display of art I’ve seen.”
But Pena’s reaction was kind of the point, according to Franco Noriega of The New Allen. He told The Independent that he and his cohorts wanted to point out how absurd it is that human sexuality and nudity is still so taboo in 2017.
“First of all to be comfortable and raise awareness about sexuality being something very normal. Also about sexual abuse because the penis is something used sometimes as a weapon,” Noriega said to The Independent. “Half of the world has a penis so why would it be so controversial?”
Whether it should be or not is one thing, but it still currently is controversial to paint a giant penis on the side of the building. Just 48 hours after Falkholt’s painting was unsheathed to the world, the landlord who runs the building where it appeared had it painted over.
It's covered! @ 4:55 the provocative painting that was here before. Who put it up and who wanted it to come down @NBCNewYork pic.twitter.com/Q2h0XiOKoH
— Erica Byfield (@EricaByfield4NY) December 27, 2017
Reaction on social media has been, well, up and down.