Judy Taylor Mural "....Labor in. . .Maine" Given Pride of Place

Detail, "History of Labor in the State of Maine," Judy Taylor, Artist

"History of Labor in the State of Maine," Judy Taylor, Artist

This is a mural that [formerly] adorns[ed] the Department of Labor in the state of Maine. Measuring 8′ high by 36′ long, it was created by Maine artist Judy Taylor in 2007/2008 to commemorate significant moments in Maine’s labor history, including the adoption of child labor laws, better working conditions for all workers and the increasing significance of women in the labor force. It also memorializes Maine native Frances Perkins, who was the Secretary of Labor under FDR, the first female to hold any cabinet post. It glorifies the plight of the worker in an appropriate setting, the Department of Labor, and is a striking and significant piece of public art. Description via http://redtreetimes.com/2011/03/. [Elisions and edits, mine]

From the Bangor Daily News: http://bangordailynews.com/2013/01/14/politics/labor-mural-unveiled-at-maine-state-museum-in-augusta/
AUGUSTA, Maine — Nearly two years after Gov. Paul LePage had a mural depicting Maine labor history removed from the lobby of the Department of Labor building, the artwork resurfaced Monday at its new home: the Maine State Museum.

“This is now a famous piece of art, and we are glad that the museum can provide the security, the space, the exhibit and conservation expertise that we at the Department of Labor cannot,” Paquette said during an unveiling event Monday morning. “Our department’s mission in this tough economy is to serve the employers and the workers of Maine. We can now put all of our focus on getting people back to work and helping businesses comply with regulations that ensure a strong workforce for our state.”

LePage ordered the mural removed from the Labor Department lobby in March 2011, saying it presented a one-sided view of history and was not in keeping with the pro-business message of his administration. LePage said he received an anonymous letter from a businessman who compared the mural to North Korean propaganda.

Art Has Power...

[caption id="attachment_474" align="aligncenter" width="550" caption="Judy Taylor, Maine Mural"][/caption]

From Visual Art Source, Weekly Newsletter, April 1, 2011, comments by Editor Bill Lasarow, "We have to go back to the early 1930s for comparable acts taken with similar reasoning.

The whitewashing of David Alfaro Siqueros' "America Tropical" in Los Angeles was prompted by his symbolic representation of a hovering American eagle poised to peck the life out of a crucified Mexican laborer. Diego Rivera clashed with his patrons John D. and Nelson Rockefeller over the content of "Man at the Crossroads," which included a portrait of Russian Bolshevik leader Vladimir Lenin. The mural was removed from their Rockefeller Center building in New York. After recent controversies over the painting out of a partially completed mural by Blu's in Los Angeles and the removal of a video by the late David Wojnorowicz from an exhibition in Washington, D.C., perhaps it was just a matter of time before elected politicians would begin to interpret their mandates in the spirit of a conquering medieval army. Destroy all signs and symbols of the previous regime, permit only images that proclaim the power and glory of the new ruler.

As Mount Holyoke College (Maine) President Lynn Pasquarella wrote, "... The act of removing images commemorating Maine's history itself conjures thoughts of rewriting history prevalent in totalitarian regimes." The grand historical spirit of barbarism is on the loose in America."

I say to Judy Taylor, YOU ARE IN VERY GOOD COMPANY.