art or stab at religion?

azezil

<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">A Warsaw art gallery risked putting itself between the proverbial rock and hard place when it displayed a life-size figure of Polish-born Pope John Paul II being crushed by a black meteorite: 90% of the country's population are fervent Roman Catholics and many are passionate about their pope. In the event, however, there were no riots - just general bafflement. It is unclear what message was intended by Maurizio Cattelan, the figure's creator, who is widely known for humorous and satirical works that push the boundaries of mainstream art.</font>

so what d'ya make of that!

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"just because you're not paraniod, doesn't mean they're not after you!"

Dont be at yourself

the onion had something on this topic: http://www.theonion.com/onion3722/christ_painting_under_fire.html

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The face of a child can say it all, especially the mouth part of the face.

azezil

oh rite point taken! hee hee

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"just because you're not paraniod, doesn't mean they're not after you!"

Manach

My, how very amusing, an 81-year old being crushed by a rock. Might one inquire what is the sequel, an OAP being pushed in front of a truck?

Magwitch

The Virgin Mary in a Bikini, Jesus having gay sex etc etc etc. Its hardly shocking anymore, it is a rather well worn and sad ploy to get attention as a "radical".

The Church is hardly a hard target to lampoon or insult. Doing so in an art gallery is neither clever nor hard to do.

Just more manufactured examples of how deeply out of touch modern art is with regular culture and people.

DadaKopf

Come on, that piece is a year old anyway and the only reason it's making headlines again is because some dumb journalist was patently overwhelmed by the 'irony' of the fact it's been shown in Poland.

And may I remind everyone else that challenging the belief system of the Catholic church is nothing new, think about Caravaggio and his realistic portrayal of seemingly noble and Dove-clean apostles and saints.

I mean, the Pope getting hit by a meteorite is hardly shocking - if anything it's more surreal and playful. Why does someting weird have to be deemed as 'shocking'? Why do people have to be scared of something they don't understand? The point when art becomes boring, and subject to friendly market tastes and so on, is the day people might as well eat glass and die. Why was a urinal in a gallery so 'shocking'? Because people made it that way because they didn't try to understand it. And Magwitch, what is art for "regular culture and people"? Bleedin Monet or something? Get a grip. Art does more than decorate people's walls with blobs of linseed oil. Sure, Monet was an Anarchist.

Just stop making some argument out of something you just make snap judgements of - it's bad for everyone.

[This message has been edited by DadaKopf (edited 25-06-2001).]

Kolodny

<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by amp:
Well insurance companies would call it an "Act of God" which makes the corners of my mouth rise slightly.

</font>

LOL! Wouldn't surprise me if that's the title of the work.

I think that's the point the artist is making, but of course it will offend certain people - it will be seen as blasphemous or in poor taste.

If it was meant to be truly shocking rather than satirical then it should be a bit more gruesome than that.

Personally I'd love to know what the Pope thinks of it.

Shinji

I'd imagine he thinks it's bloody heavy and would like someone to take it off his legs please.

Ri-ra

Can't it be both art and a swipe at religion?

Hear, hear Dadakopf. And Amp, you hit the nail on the head

Victor

<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by NekkidBibleMan:
the onion had something on this topic: http://www.theonion.com/onion3722/christ_painting_under_fire.html</font>

Does the girl at the front look, eh, artificial?

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Too many freaks, not enough circuses.

DadaKopf

And the point of that was????

Magwitch

This piece has been displayed before, taking it to Poland is just a stunt to get more "shock" publicity from a public that has already seen it. "Very nice....next, Oh its that again BUT ITS IN THE POPES HOMELAND!"

Art that challanges ones perceptions of things or ideas deserves public airing but this is hardly falls into that catagory. Hitting soft targets is hardly daring, in fact rather the opposite.

amp

Well insurance companies would call it an "Act of God" which makes the corners of my mouth rise slightly.

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Lunacy Abounds! GLminesweeper RO><ORS!
art is everything and of course nothing and possibly also a sausage

Jug-A-Lug

religous people probably see this as tempting god

like in ancient greece walking around town with a copper hat on shouting at the sky GWAN I DARE YA