Why Are These Sculptures Considered Obscene?

Aug 17, 2008 by Norman Gardner

The Book of Genesis is probably the most beloved and widely read passage in the Bible. The Image of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden has inspired hundreds of painters and sculptors to depict this legend down through the ages.

Typical artwork shows a naked man and woman, with or without some judiciously placed fig leaves. Invariably, there’s a tree, some fruit and a snake. But every artist has overlook- ed the single most important aspect of Genesis: the fact that Eve became “with child”—pregnant with her first born son.
The word “genesis” means “birth,” and since Eve was the mother of us all, God’s injunction to “be fruitful and multiply” was her sole responsibility. But when Boca Raton sculptor, Norman Gardner, depicted Eve with an unborn fetus visible inside her belly, his long, successful career hit a brick wall.

His poignant images of babies in utero were routinely rejected by art gallery owners and museum curators alike. His prenatal work was even refused a booth at his local outdoor art festival as being “unfit for public viewing.” As a result of this inexplicable negative attitude, Gardner decided to search the historical archives to see if he could find the reasons for this widely held irrational reaction.

He soon discovered the fact that during the past 2000 years, the perfectly normal and natural condition of pregnancy has been hidden behind a veil of taboo, superstition and stark, mortified embarrassment. It’s no accident that the Spanish word for pregnant is “embarazada.”

This attitude was so pervasive, that a stork myth was concocted to hide the truth about where babies really come from. And as recently as 1955, the word “pregnant” was not allowed to be spoken on national TV.

In today’s high-tech, sophisticated society, childbirth is now routinely portrayed on The Discovery Channel TV programs like “In the Womb,” and “From Conception to Birth.” Movies like “Knocked Up” are considered harmless romantic comedies. But sadly, our nation’s art establishment is still stuck in the muck of the middle ages and likely to remain so for many years to come.

Norman Gardner can be contacted on 561-447-9922.