Marni Kotak the woman who gave birth in an art gallery!!a look at some of our favorite controversial artworks of the last century

With so much argument over Marni Kotak the woman who gave birth in an art gallery last week, it seemed only right to put things in perspective with some of the most controversial art of the last century.


Today, many of us are desensitized to graphic imagery. But a few choice artists since the 1900s—call them visionaries, geniuses, perverts or psychos—managed to create something so intensely riveting that they still make cheeks red and stomachs queasy.

The following works contain their fair share of extremes. The holy trinity of sex, evildoers and excrement runs rampant throughout. But to truly make a controversial work of art, the grotesque has to be shown in a new light, in a way that can't be shaken off after you leave the museum. If the image leaves your stomach reeling, it should do the same thing to your mind.

Take a look at some of our favorite controversial artworks of the last century. What do you think: are they works of genius or pieces of crap? (Aside from the one that is, quite literally, pieces of crap.) Do you wish we'd included 'A Fire in My Belly' or one of Robert Mapplethorpe's photos? Should we have substituted Emin's 'My Bed' for 'Everyone I've Ever Slept With?' Leave a comment and let us know!

Chris Ofili, Virgin Mary

Former Mayor Rudy Giuliani called Ofili's use of elephant dung in the depiction of a religious figure "sick."
Whether or not he meant 'in the good way' has never been determined.

Richard Serra, Tilted Arc

Serra's "Tilted Arc" caused such a ruckus that it was dismantled less than a decade after its construction. People called the work an eyesore and claimed it disrupted their walk across the plaza. This installation serves as proof that you don't have to incorporate a murderer or bodily fluids into your work to make people angry.

Marcel Duchamp, Fountain

Duchamp hung a toilet bowl in a museum and declared it art; it was bound to cause a stir. Many were inspired by Duchamp's serious play and challenge to the notions of value, others thought it kind of stunk.

Damien Hirst, The Physical Impossibility of Death in the Mind of Someone Living

Damien Hirst's tiger shark in a tank of formaldehyde was called a "cultural obscenity" by art critic Robert Hughes. The work was sold by Charles Saatchi in 2004 for $8 million, the second highest price paid for a work of art by a living artist. While some people thought the shark was a bit extreme, at least it didn't depict an international super-villain, like the next piece...

David Cerny, Shark

Cerny's work riffs on Hirst's "The Physical Impossibility of Death in the Mind of Someone Living." Instead of a suspended tiger shark, Cerny used an underwear-clad model of Saddam Hussein, who supposedly fed his enemies to sharks. It was banned in a Belgian town by the mayor, who was scared that it would "shock people, including Muslims."

Tracey Emin, Everyone I Have Ever Slept With 1963-1995

Tracey Emin crafted a tent appliquéd with the 102 names of everyone she's ever slept with; it shocked the art world with it's intensely personal subject matter. There was a moment of extra outrage when someone spotted the name "grandma" but Emin quickly clarified that not all of the bed partners were sexual.

Marcus Harvey, Myra

The real Myra was one half of a couple which sexually assaulted, murdered, and buried five children in the sixties; Harvey's "Myra" is made out of children's handprints. Some viewers were so appalled they threw eggs and ink at it.

Pablo Picasso, Les Demoiselles d'Avignon

Picasso's "Demoiselles" are prostitutes, some of whom have tribal masks for faces. He referred to it as "The Bordello of Avignon," but the organizer of his exhibition felt that his title was too scandalous. The painting ultimately made a major impact on art of the period, as the shock gradually transformed to admiration.

Andres Serrano, Piss Christ

Andres Serrano took a plastic crucifix, submerged it in urine and took a picture. He was paid $15,000 for the work by the National Endowment for the Arts, and religious audiences denounced it for two decades before it was finally destroyed by angry viewers in 2011. Serrano was shocked, considering this piece is tame compared to his personal favorite 'Blood and Semen.'

Christo and Jean-Claude, Surrounded "Pink" Islands

This two week only installation involved over 7 miles of the titular pink fabric and was entirely financed by the artists. Many were enraged by the possible environmental threats of the piece. Others wished the islands hadn't had to be so...pink.
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The Ashok Art Gallery is internationally known for one of its most important holdings: more than 2000 major works by the world's most significant Artists.Over the past years, as Ashok Art Gallery has become a major centre for contemporary visual art, the Gallery has built a strong collection of contemporary work of different artists, we became a sponsor of the STANDUP-SPEAKOUT Artshow, Organized by Art Of Living Foundation and United Nations.Organized an International Contenmporary Art Exhibition including artists from USA, The Nederlands, Pakistan and India.We have also participated at Art Expo India 2008, 09 Mumbai and India Art Summit 2008 New Delhi