High school art teacher suspended

This Pantagraph.com article by Kristen Gelineau details circumstances surrounding suspension of high school art teacher Stephen Murmer (artistic alias “Stan Murmer”). Murmer’s personal artistry involves smearing his posterior and genitals with paint and pressing them against a canvas.

[Sounds very similar to the recent episode in Austin, Texas, where a popular art teacher found herself suspended after topless photos were posted on the internet — apparently without her permission.]

Murmer has contacted the ACLU. My attempt this morning to follow links to his website were unsuccessful. According to AOL, his website has exceeded its bandwidth for today. Further attempts to watch a YouTube video in which Murmer was interviewed three years ago also failed.

One of my favorite quotes is often attributed to Leonardo da Vinci: “Process over Product.” I love the ability to experiment with new mediums, pushing the boundries of a material. However, however, I presently bear no sympathy for Stan or Stephen Murmer. Working in the public sector, such action by the school administration should be no surprise to him or anyone else — and it may not be a surprise to him. Perhaps he wanted to push the limits. Perhaps, just maybe, the whole ordeal is more a piece of performance art than a matter of a teacher and his canvases.

Not being able to see his paintings or watch the interview, I will limit my commentary. Suffice it to say, “I’m very skeptical.” Oh, and “I hope he showers well before doing this.” I might not ever want such a painting — regardless of how much I might like the finished product — without such a disclaimer.