In the 1960’s, parents were admonished to keep their toddlers in bathing trunks by a sign on Jones beach created by Robert Moses. In contrast, healing diaper-sore bottoms on the beach is luxury for European children. ‘Nakedei’ is an affectionate German term for a naked toddler.
It was only in the 1970’s that the sensory homunculus
used to describe the distorted human figure drawn to reflect the relative space of our body parts on the somatosensory cortex
acquired reproductive organs in US textbooks.
Nevertheless in 2003 modesty prevailed in a paper read at the inauguration of a University president, again showing the homunculus as gender-free.
Kandel and Mack, Figure 6
Also in 1970’s, an issue of the The National Inquirer stated that a NY state scientist claims she needs x$ to study the sex life of leeches. In reality, NSF funded her to study a novel synapse that just happens to connect leech penile evertor motor neurons. The article was prompted by William Proxmire planning to give her his ‘Golden Fleece Award’. It was with glee that her boss, James D. Watson, received the news, welcoming the opportunity to fight this American senator, who, however, wisely dropped the case.
These are vignettes of adult modesty. What goes on in the mind of pre-schoolers? A little girl, Nina, created the above piece of reductionist art. What does it represent?
Nina’s drawing looks like Mom at the beach, sunburned on one side.
In Japan we delighted in visiting hot springs that had mixed bathing (nude, of course). It’s sadly becoming less common, especially among the younger generation.
You probably heard about the uproar last year when school kids saw a nude statue at the Dallas Museum of Art. Sheesh!
Or the fact that some school kids in NJ said the ‘v’ word… Yep, it has become the v word now and prudery rules.
Steve,
I did not know about the uproar at the Dallas museum of art.
Now we have another wonderful explanation for the popularity of abstract art – it is not dangerous for American school children.
That may be why middle North America is building shrines for abstract art.
Sunil,
I don’t know what the v word is. Could you email me the explanation?
Birgit,
I have a link to the article in the Times…
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/08/nyregion/08vagina.html?ex=1174795200&en=f4598405420b9149&ei=5070
I did not know that my anatomy lent itself to a prohibited word.
Thanks for the two wonderful examples of contemporary American modesty
Nina’s drawing reminds me of when I asked a kid what something was and she just looked up at me and squinted, wrinkling her nose.
The child’s painting appears to unabashedly represent a mamma (left) and a vulva (right).
Half right!