A Fire In My Belly Analysis

As an artist myself, I personally understand the value of producing a piece of work – or knowledge –within the time that I’ve been inspired, and it’s not until after the creation of art that I even consider how it may affect others. Should it really be necessary for a producer of knowledge to contemplate the world’s opinion before he or she uses their ideas and skills to make a statement or form a work of art? If such a thing is made obligatory, how would it affect the amount of knowledge produced in the arts? And in what way would it limit how knowledge is produced?

Unlike within the realms of science and mathematics, the arts have no specific boundaries when it comes to their function; art does not have to be a painting or a piece of orchestral

How do we avoid anger and disgust; evade fear and revenge; vandalism and protest? Well, the point is, such a thing is impossible. A particular piece of artwork shown in the 90s – a video named A Fire in My Belly by David Wojnarowicz – which depicted a plastic crucifix covered in fire ants, was removed immediately by The National Portrait Gallery after frequent complaints (McCormack). While this may have temporarily satisfied the complainers, all the act really did was infuriate the art world instead. One battle had ended, but another had begun; galleries, museums and universities began to show the video all across the USA, and on YouTube it became even more popular. While this film was similar to Serrano’s Piss Christ, the ants were really not as much of an explicit symbol as the urine was; they were ambiguous enough that the crowd’s reaction came as quite a surprise. The artist didn’t provide context. He didn’t explain what statement he was trying to make, and he had the right not to disclose such information. The public took from it what they wanted in regards to their personal beliefs and history, and he was not at fault for their taking offense from it. He also could not have determined how his work might have affected the art world; an artist, like anyone else, has the right to create what they wish,