Side by side: Andres Serrano’s 1987 Piss Christ vs Trans Forming Liberty, by Amy Sherald. Two controversial artworks at the heart of the censorship debate.

Piss Christ vs Trans Forming Liberty: A critical look at why these two artworks ignited a nation and what their suppression says about American values today.

BY KAZEEM ADELEKE, ARTCENTRON

Controversial artworks often ignite fierce public debate, acting as a mirror to a nation’s deepest anxieties. These works challenge societal norms, provoke introspection, and sometimes trigger intense outrage. Two works, Andres Serrano’s 1987 photograph, Piss Christ, and Amy Sherald’s 2024 painting, Trans Forming Liberty, stand as the primary bookends to the American culture wars.

While separated by nearly four decades, the comparison of Piss Christ vs Trans Forming Liberty illuminates a shifting landscape of public offense—from the religious battles of the 1980s to the identity-driven conflicts of the 2020s.

Andres Serrano’s Piss Christ: The Blasphemy Battlegrounds

Andres Serrano’s Piss Christ depicts a small plastic crucifix submerged in a glass tank of the artist’s urine. This photograph quickly became a flashpoint in the “culture wars” of the late 1980s. The title and the medium immediately provoked accusations of blasphemy. Critics contended that the work was a taxpayer-funded desecration of a sacred icon.

The Legislative Response to Piss Christ

The controversy was fueled by the fact that Serrano received $15,000 through the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA). Senators Al D’Amato and Jesse Helms notably led the charge against the work. The result is a reduction in federal funding for the arts. This political pressure eventually led to the “Decency Clause,” a legislative mandate. The order requires the NEA to consider general standards of decency and respect for the diverse beliefs and values of the American public when awarding future grants.

Serrano, a lifelong Catholic, maintained the work was a critique of the commercialization of icons rather than an act of hate. Despite his intent, the work became a symbol of the struggle between religious sensitivity and the First Amendment. The photograph set a precedent for how the government interacts with provocative imagery.

Amy Sherald’s Trans Forming Liberty Culture War

In 2024, Amy Sherald—the renowned artist behind Michelle Obama’s official portrait—unveiled Trans Forming Liberty. The ten-foot-tall oil painting reimagines the Statue of Liberty as a Black transgender woman. It features a pink bob, a vibrant lavender background, and a torch filled with daisies. The artist wanted the work to be the centerpiece of her solo exhibition, American Sublime, at the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery (NPG). However, the 2025 cancellation of this show brought the Piss Christ vs Trans Forming Liberty debate into sharp focus. It revealed a new method of modern censorship.

The Smithsonian Controversy and Institutional Pressure

Unlike the direct legislative defunding seen in the 1980s, the controversy surrounding Trans Forming Liberty was driven by internal institutional fear and executive directives. In March 2025, the administration issued the “Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History” order. The directive specifically targeted “divisive narratives” at federal institutions like the Smithsonian. Vice President JD Vance, overseeing Smithsonian oversight, reportedly flagged the painting as “woke and divisive content. The National Portrait Gallery Director Kim Sajet resigned in June 2025. Her resignation was after public calls for her removal due to her support of DEI initiatives.

Sherald eventually withdrew her entire exhibition after the Smithsonian suggested “contextualizing” the painting with a video. She viewed this move as an attempt to open her subject’s humanity up for debate, refusing to allow her artistic vision to be diluted by political appeasement.

Comparing Piss Christ vs. Trans Forming Liberty

When analyzing Piss Christ vs Trans Forming Liberty, the core differences reveal how the “battleground” of the culture war has evolved. While Serrano’s work utilized a religious icon (the Crucifix) and sparked outrage based on sacrilege, Sherald’s work utilized a national icon (the Statue of Liberty) to spark a debate over identity politics and gender ideology.

The shift from religion to identity is also reflected in the mechanisms of control. In the 1980s, the state sought to punish the artist through external legislative cuts and public shaming. In contrast, the modern era of the 2020s utilizes internal institutional preemption, where executive oversight and policy directives influence curatorial decisions before the art even reaches the public eye. This evolution from “punishment after the fact” to “preventative removal” illustrates a more sophisticated and insidious form of pressure on artistic autonomy.

The Enduring Peril of Controversial Artworks

Both Piss Christ and Trans Forming Liberty are profoundly controversial artworks. This is because they force society to grapple with the limits of representation. Serrano’s work questioned the commercialization of faith, while Sherald’s piece champions visibility and human dignity for the transgender community.

The controversies surrounding these pieces remind us that the role of art—especially that which pushes boundaries—is to test the integrity of our cultural institutions. Whether the debate is over a glass of urine or a pink-haired Lady Liberty, the struggle for artistic freedom remains a vital arena for American dissent, constantly redefining the boundaries of tolerance in a polarized landscape.

Quick Comparison: Piss Christ vs. Trans Forming Liberty

Piss Christ vs. Trans Forming Liberty: Two Controversial Artworks

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

What is the significance of Piss Christ vs Trans Forming Liberty?

The comparison of Piss Christ vs Trans Forming Liberty represents the evolution of the American culture wars. While Serrano’s 1987 work challenged religious boundaries and taxpayer funding of the arts, Sherald’s 2024 piece challenged national identity and gender representation. Together, they show how political pressure has shifted from legislative defunding to executive-led institutional censorship.

Why was Andres Serrano’s Piss Christ controversial?

Piss Christ was controversial because it featured a crucifix submerged in the artist’s urine. Critics, led by Senators Jesse Helms and Al D’Amato, labeled the work blasphemous. They argued that the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) should not use taxpayer money to fund art that offended religious sensibilities.

What happened to Amy Sherald’s Trans Forming Liberty at the Smithsonian?

In 2025, Amy Sherald withdrew her exhibition from the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery. This was after the museum leadership—facing pressure from executive orders regarding “divisive narratives”—suggested altering the presentation of the portrait. Sherald refused to comply with what she termed a “culture of censorship” regarding transgender visibility.

How has art censorship changed since the 1980s?

Censorship has evolved from the “direct punishment” model of the 1980s (such as cutting the NEA budget) to a modern “preemptive” model. Today, political pressure often results in internal institutional decisions to cancel or alter exhibitions before they can be seen by the public. These decisions are often influenced by executive orders rather than congressional legislation.

Who is the subject of Amy Sherald’s Trans Forming Liberty?

The painting depicts a Black transgender woman reimagined as the Statue of Liberty. It uses vibrant colors—including a lavender background and a pink bob—to place a marginalized identity at the center of a universal symbol of American freedom.