When Michelangelo painted the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, he did not merely walk into the building, create his masterpiece and present it to the pope as a fait accompli. "Yo, Pope! It's my art - deal with it!"
On the contrary, Pope Julius II commissioned Michelangelo to paint the ceiling. It took the artist four years - 1508-1512 - to complete his great work. For nearly 500 years, visitors have marveled at its beauty.
There's an important lesson here about the nature of art in public spaces. It's a lesson that students at the new Lawrence High could stand to hear. It's one that, sadly, Superintendent Wilfredo Laboy has failed to provide.
Thuan Tran, 15, a student in the high school's Humanities and Leadership Development academy, painted a mural depicting civil rights leaders Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X. Tran had permission to paint the graffiti-style mural from academy Principal Michael Fiato. But the mural had not been approved by school district leaders as required. Laboy ordered the mural painted over.
That sparked protests by students as well as some parents and teachers, who decried Laboy's action as an act of censorship, a denial of Tran's right to free expression. The removal of the mural and the students' reaction attracted the attention of the Boston media.
Now, Laboy is backtracking. He has asked Tran to submit a sketch for a new mural, which he will consider for approval.
It's a pity that, while Laboy had plenty of time to provide quotes for Boston newspapers, he didn't find time to explain his decision to Tran and the other students. The superintendent could have provided a valuable lesson that young people need to hear.
There is a great deal of difference between art that hangs on a wall and art that is on a wall. When an artist hangs his creation on a wall in a public space, he is sharing his vision with others. Works by other artists may hang beside it, or in time the artwork may be replaced. But when the artist paints the wall itself, he is claiming public space for himself. It is a selfish act. It says, only my art matters; yours does not.
No one is censoring Tran's views or denying his right to free expression. Tran is free to paint whatever he chooses. The question is whether Tran may paint on a wall that belongs not to him but to all Lawrencians.
Lawrence's $110 million high school has been open for just four months. That seems a bit early to begin covering walls with art that is meant to be permanent.
Lawrence High's art instructors and administrators would do well to introduce students to a medium that has served artists well for generations - canvas. Then school leaders could hang Tran's art proudly on the walls of the high school for as long as they choose - until it is someone else's turn to share his or her own unique vision with the school's population.
