Over the Line Exhibition promotes discussion on censorship at the Hi-Desert Artists Gallery

When artwork made up of colorful photographs of erotic objects was removed from Hi-Desert Artists Gallery’s Color Wheel Show in June, it sparked controversy among members and visitors. Some saw it as inappropriate, while others defended it as a valid form of creative expression.

Instead of letting the dispute fade away, local artist Janice Taitel conceived and curated the exhibition called Over the Line. 

The show features 85 pieces by 42 artists exploring the body, politics, religion, and other subjects that test comfort zones. It asks what art can and should communicate, showcasing works some might see as “over the line.”

“People have a fear of saying certain things. I think it’s very important not to self-censor. You don’t say things to be shocking, but if you have something important to express, you should be able to express it.”

That is Janice Taitel.

To deepen the dialogue, the gallery will host an artist panel discussion on Thursday, August 21, at 6:00 p.m. The panel will be moderated by Katie Nartonis, the gallery director, with Janice Taitel as the show curator. Additional panel guests include Julianne Elliot, Rick Livingston, Elaine Levinson, and Madame Harlequin.

Nartonis sees the exhibition as a chance to celebrate art’s power to provoke and inspire. Believing that art has always pushed boundaries, she said this show allows the community to explore that together.

The Over the Line exhibition opened on August 15 and will run until September 15 at the Hi-Desert Artist Gallery, located at 55635 Twentynine Palms Highway in Yucca Valley. The Panel Discussion is on August 21 at 6:00 p.m.

To frame the exhibition, artists and visitors are invited to reflect on a series of prompts displayed throughout the gallery in English and Spanish. The questions ask where the line is drawn — and what happens when it’s crossed.

• Is asking a question sometimes more important than answering it?
• Does drawing a line keep people “safe” or does it shut down thought? 
• What’s worse: crossing the line or being held back from it?
• Can you find the line without sometimes crossing it?
• Are there lines we should never cross? 
• Does context matter?  
• Does intent? 
• Would a piece fall on a different side of “the line” if it represented a different religion, gender, or political stance? If it had deep meaning vs just being fun?
• Who draws the line for whom? What do you do when external lines clash with your own?
• Is discomfor t always a bad thing?
• When someone says, “This isn’t the right place,” for some work, do they really mean it should have no place?
• Does art have the power to change people and mend the world? Without pushing the line, can anything really change? Should artists reflect the world as it is or as it should be? Or both? 
• What would happen, really, if you went over the line? If you saw something that offended you? And is the discomfort your own or a fear of the reactions of others?
• Do you self-censor? If there were no consequences at all, what’s a line you would love to cross in your art?  
• If something shocks you,  
• Is it making a point that’s shocking?
• Is it shocking in order to make a point?
• Or is it just trying to be shocking to shock?
• And does it matter?