The 20th Century was arguably the most important to humankind’s evolution to date. As industry progressed at breakneck speed, society was rocked, then rocked again by scandal. A scandal, by definition, is regarded as morally or legally wrong and causing general public outrage. And boy did artists relish in controversy, question authority, defy convention, and shatter deeply held beliefs! We want to honor some of the pioneers, provocateurs, and bold thinkers. Are you ready for five of the biggest art scandals of the 20th Century? Warning… some graphic content ahead…

Do Women Have to Be Naked to Get into the Met Museum? Guerilla Girls, 1989

This striking piece from 1989 caused huge controversy when it was first released. The artists behind it called themselves the Guerilla Girls, who wore gorilla masks in public and pseudonyms to protect their identity. Their aim was, and still is, to challenge accepted social and cultural norms while fighting for gender equality. Upon receiving a request from the Public Art Fund (PAF) to design a billboard, members of this collective visited the MET Museum. They realized the vast disparity between the representation of work from female artists and the use of the female form as the subject of art. Their anger fueled them to create this iconic image. The PAF swiftly rejected it due to a “lack of clarity.” The Guerilla girls knew the value of their message and created a publicly funded campaign, covering New York city’s buses with this harsh reality and changing the art world as we know it forever.

Cut Piece Yoko Ono, 1964 

John Lennon's widow has never shied away from controversy, and her performance series "Cut Piece" is a perfect example. Ono kneels in the center of the stage, inviting audience members to come and cut a piece of her clothing off to take home with them. She is slowly but surely laid bare before the crowd as music gently pulses in the background. Much of the piece's scandal came from the inherent violence associated with cutting away her clothing. On one occasion, a man threatened to stab her. On another, she faced fierce criticism while sitting almost naked. Many commented on her choice to wear western clothing and its statement about North American and Japanese relations at the time. 

Maya Lin’s Vietnam War Memorial 1981

Maya Lin shot to fame in May 1981 after anonymously winning a national architecture competition to design a war memorial in memory of the over 300,000 US veterans who lost their lives. The least controversial fact about the whole piece is that she was barely 21, had not yet graduated from Yale where she was studying architecture, and was a first-generation US citizen. Her parents were both important professors at Ohio University in Athens, Ohio who had immigrated to the US. After selecting her work, the committee was inundated with calls to stop its installation. Critics pointed out its V-shape, claiming it was a subtle homage to the sign used by anti-war protestors. They decried the use of black granite, saying the color was associated with degradation and defeat. As donors withdrew their funding, they conceded incorporating a 50ft pole waving the star-spangled banner. Lin herself questioned whether she would still have won had selectors known her age, name, and background. A tribute to female veterans was added in 1993. 

Rhythm 0, Marina Abramovic 1974

The last of the Serbian artist’s "Rhythm" series, an expression of individual body art performance pieces that, in the artist's words,  presents 'the conclusions of my research on the body when conscious and unconscious. During Rhythm 10, Abramovic used a knife to stab a piece of paper held within her fingers. Each time she cut herself, she changed the tool until she had exhausted all 20. In Rhythm 0, she chose 72 objects that members of the public were free to pick from to "use on her." Chosen carefully, giving the audience the option to instill pain or pleasure. By exposing herself to risk, she hoped to explore the idea of collective action and responsibility. A replica of the original piece can be found in the Tate museum, accompanied by a slide show depicting the results of the original 1974 performance. 

Fountain, Marcel Duchamp, 1917 

Duchamp’s most iconic work became a symbol of artistic revolution, and is arguably one of the most important pieces to ever emerge from the century. It was the fruit of a conversation between Duchamp, artist Joseph Stella, and a collector named Walter Arensberg. Duchamp and many other artists of the time dreamed of creating an epicenter of artistic expression that would rival Paris, without any of the old fashioned attitudes and politics. They established the Society of Independent Artists, a collective who pledged in their constitution to accept any artwork submitted by their members. Duchamp tested his peers' commitment to this ideal by submitting the Fountain under the pseudonym “R. Mutt”. To his outrage, they rejected it, and heated debate arose around attitudes towards artistic freedom in the New World. 

There you have it, five of the biggest art controversies of the 20th century. If you like what you read, check out articles similar to this on our blog or sign-up for our weekly email newsletter below, which is full of art and auction curiosities and news, delivered to your inbox with a pinch of humor and a scosche of sarcasm.