[artgoddess]

Do you have artwork in your home that is on display? Has having children caused you to make any changes in what is in view of your family?<br><br>
I have a dear friend that works in the education program at a museum. When they have Jr. High groups come through it's just a given she rearranges some pieces and covers some of the nude paintings. Not that she likes the censorship, but it's what she has to do in order to get kids coming in and exposed to the museum.<br><br>
I have paintings (or prints rather) hanging in my house that include nudity. I've never given it a second thought that above my dining table is a nude woman. she's always been there. hanging in my house since before I met DP or had kids. But I start to wonder would it make other families who join us for supper uncomfortable?<br><br>
I had one 7 year old girl with her parents there, point at the painting and say "ew gross, I can see her boobies!" her dad immediately reminded her that a persons body is not gross and that she was breast fed when she was a baby. As my kids and their friends grow older and more aware of societies sexualized nature I wonder if it's going to raise some eyebrows.

 

[AFWife]

We don't have much art currently...we have a few prints that are landscapes and flowers. However, I can say that, depending on the piece of art, I might be uncomfortable bringing my son (when he's older of course) to your house...

 

[BettinaAuSucre]

i'd keep the nude pictures in my bedroom where the kids aren't allowed. If it were a modest nudity, such as a womans back or legs, I'd be ok with them. I have a few Fetish prints(latex, leather, no nudity) that I want to put up but i am waiting until we have more wall-space.

 

[artgoddess]

I can understand fetish prints not being out, they are sexual in nature. Interesting to me that a mother would feel uncomfortable with their children being exposed to nudity in a form that is not sexualized.

 

[philomom]

I've got some Waterhouse prints that don't leave much to the imagination. I also have one gorgeous fairy who is all buff. I never bothered to hide them from my kids. We all have skin.

 

[AFWife]

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<div>Originally Posted by <strong>artgoddess</strong> <a href="/community/forum/post/15423730"><img alt="View Post" class="inlineimg" src="/community/img/forum/go_quote.gif" style="border:0px solid;"></a></div>
<div style="font-style:italic;">I can understand fetish prints not being out, they are sexual in nature. Interesting to me that a mother would feel uncomfortable with their children being exposed to nudity in a form that is not sexualized.</div>
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Like I said, it would depend on the nature of the art piece. Are we talking <a href="http://www.google.com/images?um=1&hl=en&client=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla%3Aen-US%3Aofficial&tbs=isch%3A1&sa=1&q=birth+of+venus&aq=f&aqi=&aql=&oq=&gs_rfai=" target="_blank">The Birth of Venus</a> or something of a more sexual nature? I've seen plenty of "old art" pieces that make me really uncomfortable...(I can't find them atm or I'd have an example)

 

[velochic]

We have a sculpture that includes nudity. No prints. It's a replica of Rodin's The Kiss. I probably wouldn't have prints. It would depend on how tasteful the painting was. Of course, taste is objective, so it's going to be very individual.

 

[Liquesce]

While I don't own any nudes personally, I would feel very strange about treating them as though they are something children can't be exposed to.<br><br>
I am also very glad that the parents and school administrators of my own district did not insist that nudes needed to be covered on museum trips. I didn't realize anyone did that.

 

[annettemarie]

We have some art of Mary breastfeeding Jesus, and I think they're great.

 

[artgoddess]

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<div>Originally Posted by <strong>Liquesce</strong> <a href="/community/forum/post/15423776"><img alt="View Post" class="inlineimg" src="/community/img/forum/go_quote.gif" style="border:0px solid;"></a></div>
<div style="font-style:italic;">I would feel very strange about treating them as though they are something children can't be exposed to.</div>
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This is where I'm at on the topic as well. I don't ever intend to "hide" my stuff. but I realized from reading the other thread that probably not everyone feels this way.<br><br>
I'm also bummed that nudes have to be covered or moved when a Jr.High museum trip is planned. I grew up in NY and visited many a museum in my childhood. Never do I recall feeling uncomfortable by nudity in art. But if one or two parents would make a stink it could mean that the entire class/school misses out at my friends museum. So she has to accommodate. Bummer, huh?

 

[Purple Sage]

I have no problem with nudity in art at a museum, and I wouldn't be offended or want to hide it from my kids if someone else had it on their wall in their own home.<br><br>
That said, I would not want nude art on my own walls - it's just not my taste.

 

[mommariffic]

We have one small nude piece, but I am not opposed to getting more. In fact, I love work that shows the beauty of nature and the human body, so at some point there might be more butts and boobs on the walls.<br><br>
I've got no issues with it, as long as it's not porno. I mean art is art. If anyone else doesn't like it they can hang somewhere else <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/orngtongue.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="Stick Out Tongue">

 

[KatWrangler]

We don't have an nude art pics. However, since having kids we are more open about it. I didn't cover up when breastfeeding. My husband still sleeps nude (something he will never give up).

 

[BettinaAuSucre]

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<div>Originally Posted by <strong>artgoddess</strong> <a href="/community/forum/post/15423730"><img alt="View Post" class="inlineimg" src="/community/img/forum/go_quote.gif" style="border:0px solid;"></a></div>
<div style="font-style:italic;">I can understand fetish prints not being out, they are sexual in nature. Interesting to me that a mother would feel uncomfortable with their children being exposed to nudity in a form that is not sexualized.</div>
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The fetish prints I have are sexual in nature...to me. But to others, they would appear as simple close ups of clothes/models.<br><br>
i simply do NOT think fetish or nude pictures could scar any child. I think the intention behind the pictures wouldn't be understood by a child under 5 and after that age, it would be simple to explain it to them. The only way I could see it being a problem is if it had vaginal/male genitalia obviously displayed. or naked pictures of yourselves...

 

[Laggie]

We do have one quite graphic painting in the bedroom... which I hide in the closet whenever there are kids or family members coming over. I think that when we have kids we will have to get rid of it once they are old enough to figure out what it is.<br><br>
But I wouldn't hide a painting with non-sexual nudity, although I'm not sure if I would want that anywhere in my home other than the bedroom... Most of the art in our living areas is more abstract.

 

[no5no5]

We're artists, so...yeah, we've got paintings that include nudity around the house. There's one DH painted of <i>me</i> nude, and we didn't even take it down when my parents came to visit. But it's pretty small, and not too obvious that it's me. There's also a (not at all sexy) life-sized naked man painting on the wall of our bedroom. Heh. Nudity, schmudity. We are also still naked IRL in front of DD, and while that may change when she's a bit older (she's 4), I don't expect our perspective on naked paintings to change.

 

[Storm Bride]

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<div>Originally Posted by <strong>Liquesce</strong> <a href="/community/forum/post/15423776"><img alt="View Post" class="inlineimg" src="/community/img/forum/go_quote.gif" style="border:0px solid;"></a></div>
<div style="font-style:italic;">While I don't own any nudes personally, I would feel very strange about treating them as though they are something children can't be exposed to.<br><br>
I am also very glad that the parents and school administrators of my own district did not insist that nudes needed to be covered on museum trips. I didn't realize anyone did that.</div>
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Ditto.<br><br>
I really don't have any art, and I doubt I'll ever hang any - just not my style. (We have one print of Starry Night, just because dh likes it.) If I did, the presence of nudity wouldn't be a factor in whether or not I hung it.

 

[mntnmom]

our art collection revolves. But we've had Degas and Reubens in view of the kids. Our family altar has statues etc. that are nude and mildly sexualized. I can see how it might make others uncomfortable, but I think it is important for children to be exposed to the "sacred" view of sex, as opposed to only the commercialized variety.<br>
My oldest DD is 7, and she stills sees DH and I naked on occasion, so our art has never been strange or an issue to our kids.

 

[sunnybear]

I went to school right outside of DC and we went to museums on field trips countless times. It is mind boggling to me that a school would request to have nude works covered. I went to a Catholic school, too, and it was never an issue either out at galleries or in art history classes.<br><br>
As for art in our house, nudity is fine. I wouldn't hang straight-up porn, but my boyfriend and I are both artists and we have paintings and photos (some of which are our own or of us) that are nude/partially nude, a coffee table book of fetish photography, other photography and art books...definitely lots of bodies in those. We're comfortable walking around mostly naked, too. I want my son to be very comfortable with his body and confident in it being healthy and perfect just the way it is. I've dealt with eating disorders and all sorts of body image issues since early childhood and I don't want my son to follow in my footsteps. I'm hoping that by presenting all sorts of bodies as normal and good will help that.<br><br>
ETA: We talk a lot, too, it isn't just images in view without discussion to go along with it. My son is four and will point out boobs and then usually says something about how mommy's boobs had milk in them for when he was a baby (he was breastfed until he was three, so I guess it is still fresh in his mind). Things along those lines.

 

[MusicianDad]

DH is an artist so we have lots of art in the house. Some of them include nudes. Honestly, we don't concern ourselves much with what might put someone off coming over so we don't try any hide anything when we are having guests. DH is a very talented person and we don't want to hide that.<br><br>
Plus nudity is not a big deal to us. DD has seen naked females and naked males, and so has DS. We intend for both of them to grow up with a healthy idea of the human body.