Is this why we send them to university? Outrage as gay man and straight woman get married... for degree art project



A gay man and a straight woman who married each other for a university art project were today criticised for mocking the sanctity of marriage.

Art students Nora Battenberg-Cartwright, 21, and Paul Cartwright, 20, say that their union is 'more honest' than a traditional marriage because they can tell each other when they're seeing other people.

However, the pair, both studying Fine Art at the University of Worcester have no plans to consummate their relationship after a registry office ceremony.

Big day: Nora Battenberg-Cartwright and gay husband Paul Cartwright celebrate moments after being wed in Germany

Mrs Battenberg-Cartwright, who is German and moved to the city to study, said: 'It's about an artistic unity rather than a love union, to join each other in art and make us the art. It's a really truthful marriage and we will still see other people.



'By marrying ourselves we were in effect marrying art. If we ever decided that we got to the point where we wanted to marry another person, that would be the end of the art career, really.

'But neither of us can see it on the cards, both of us expect to be old and married and continuing together.



'The marriage is kind of the foundation of our art. We do love each other, but in a different way.'

Man and wife: University art students Paul Cartwright and Nora Battenberg-Cartwright married 'for art'

The students' wedding was condemned by Stephen Green, national director of Christian Voice, an organisation that represents Christians.

He said: 'They are denigrating the institution of marriage itself.

'Marriage is not an art project, it is the life-long union of man and woman and part of that is the sexual act which is there for companionship and the raising of children.

'At the ages of 20 and 21 you think you are invincible and think you can do anything but marriage is not just between the couple concerned, it is between them and the wider community.

'If their parents have gone along with this charade they are equally as guilty of denigrating the whole institution of marriage and bringing the University of Worcester into disrepute.

'If I was marking them I'd give them no marks - what has being married got to do with art?

'Marriage is under attack from homosexual and civil partnerships which are an attempt to downgrade it.

'It appears to be no co-incidence that the "husband" is a gay man.'

The ceremony, held before 25 guests in Linsengericht, Germany on December 29, took place as part of their second year coursework.



Mrs Battenberg-Cartwright said: 'We work collaboratively on everything, there isn't a clear line between our work and our tutors have agreed to mark us together.



'We only told our tutors about us doing this a few days ago and they were quite shocked. They said they had to go away and think about it.'

The pair said while their parents were initially shocked about what they had done, were supportive and beginning to understand.



Mr Cartwright, from Redditch, Worcestershire, added: 'One of our friends said that he thought marriage was a contract or a unity between two people and that's what this is.



'It's a sort of love, you love a brother or a sister and we are very close, as far as you know we are going to spend the rest of lives together.



'Serious students': The University of Worcester said it would mark the couple using strict criteria

'One friend e-mailed us to say "I think you have p***** all over the idea of marriage".

'I replied saying "thanks for being honest, that's great, we can use that in our project".

'When they read about why they kind of understand it and it's made them question what marriage or art was.'

The couple, who live together in Worcester, say they are committed to each other but if they ever divorce, that would be the end of their creative partnership.



Dr James Fisher, head of Fine Art at the University of Worcester, said: 'Nora and Paul are very serious students; they live together and work very closely together, and are both very committed artists.'

Dr Fisher said the pair's work would be marked following a strict set of criteria.