Man wants apology from Yarra Ranges Council over sign promoting Jenny Reddin’s exhibition ‘The Very Stupid Man’

An “appalled” Healesville man wants his local council to apologise to all men and remove a sign promoting an art exhibition with a provocative name. But the artist says there’s a simple reason she named her show after the gender.

Healesville artist Jenny Reddin's artwork The Very Stupid Man, from her exhibition of the same name. Picture: Supplied

A Healesville man wants a sign promoting an art exhibition removed because he feels its title gives men a bad wrap.

Alan Watson wants an apology from Yarra Ranges Council “towards all men” after he spotted the sign for Jenny Reddin’s exhibition The Very Stupid Man outside The Memo on Maroondah Highway.

Reddin’s exhibition opened in Healesville on July 16 and she told Lilydale and Yarra Valley Leader its title was in no way aimed at the male gender — and its themes were early humankind and the environment.

Mr Watson said he had no issue with Reddin and understood her exhibition “was quite good”.

But he still wants the sign removed because he felt it implied “a lot of men are very stupid.”

“In this day and age of political correction, I was appalled to see it,” he said.

The sign in question. Picture: David Crosling

“I believe men and women have equal intelligence … if that sign said ‘The Very Stupid Woman’, it wouldn’t have been there for very long.”

Mr Watson said he raised the issue with Yarra Ranges Council but felt his concerns “went on deaf ears.”

“Children are walking down the street, they can read, and in a subtle way it could influence children’s opinions of men being stupid,” he said.

Reddin said the title of her exhibition was in no way aimed at the male gender and apologised to anyone offended.

“The title could have been The Very Stupid Human Being but it was very clunky,” Reddin said.

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“It talks about prehistoric man, he was stupid because he didn’t have all the modern technology available today.

“His world was pristine, there was no pollution, men have been clever and the cleverer our technology has become, the more damage has been done on the environment.”

The council’s director of social economic development, James Collins, said the council had only received one complaint about the exhibition.

The exhibition is being held at The Memo in Healesville. Picture: David Crosling

“Council staff then spoke to the complainant to explain the context of the exhibition, its themes and how they relate to the title,” he said.

“We understand that the title is provocative at first glance, as many artistic installations and shows can be, and hope it inspires people to learn more about the exhibition and the themes it contains.”

The council has no plans to remove the sign as the exhibition closes on September 10.

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