What makes art taboo?

Taboo art can serve many functions: it can open up a dialogue about a sensitive topic; it can break new boundaries; and it can also be simply offensive. Here, we look at what makes taboo art.
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There’s a little place somewhere on your body which if touched in the right way engenders an uncontrollable reaction: a jolt; a visceral upshot over which you have no control.


Taboo art can have much the same emotional effect and the trigger of your response is just as subjective as the location of that one spot, making it difficult to determine where the line of what’s appropriate is drawn, or if there should even be a line at all.

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Sarah Adams
About the Author
Sarah Adams is a media, film and television junkie. She is the former deputy editor of ArtsHub Australia and now works in digital communications - telling research stories across multiple platforms - in the higher education sector. Follow her @sezadams