Boys at Bat

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Date: 1989

Region: North America

Subject: Sexual/Gender Orientation

Medium: Painting


Artist: Eric Fischl

Confronting Bodies: Ziff Sistrunk, executive director of Chicago Sports Council

Dates of Action: July, 1989

Location: Chicago, Illinois

Description of Artwork: The painting was shown in the baseball art exhibit Diamonds Are Forever, sponsored by Worldwide Cultural Affairs and American Express Company at the Chicago Cultural Center. Boys at Bat depicts a picnic scene with a father and son. The father, completely nude except for a baseball cap, is swinging a baseball bat while the son stands aside holding a bat staring.

The Incident: Sistrunk alleged the painting promotes sexual molestation and homosexuality while using baseball as a front. He met with Cultural Center officials requesting the removal of the painting.

Results of Incident: The painting remained with the support of the Cultural Center and American Express.

Source: Committee For Artists' Rights Archive