Obama As Jesus Painting On Display After Canceled Event

[meegbear]

Source: Webpronews.com

A painting depicting President Obama in a religious pose is now on display at Bunker Hill Community College in Boston, and it’s garnering some protests from those who think it’s blasphemous.

Artist Michael D’Antuono originally planned to display the piece in an art installation in New York’s Union Square on the president’s 100th day in office, but so many protesters contacted him about it–he received over 4,000 emails–that he canceled the event. It’s something he says he regrets now.

“I always regretted cancelling my exhibit in New York because I feel my First Amendment rights should override someone’s hurt feelings,” D’Antuono said. “We should celebrate the fact that we live in a country where we are given the freedom to express ourselves.”

D’Antuono says the painting is meant to be metaphorical and isn’t a comparison to Christ, but members of the Catholic Church say that’s not good enough. The President of the Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights–Bill Donohue–issued a statement about the artwork recently, saying that since Obama’s re-election, D’Antuono feels it’s safe to display a piece depicting the president’s “crucifixion”.

Read more: http://www.webpronews.com/obama-as-jesus-painting-on-display-after-canceled-event-2012-11

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[Burma Jones]

1. Bill Donohue - helping Artists' Careers since 1993

What a doofus.

[yellowcanine]

2. If Bill Donohue objects, it must be a good thing.

[MyTwoSense]

3. The First Amendment?

What's the first amendment got to do with it? Were any of those 4,000 e-mails from the government abridging his freedom of speech?

[Aristus]

9. I agree. People are always mis-reading the intent of the First Amendment.

It simply states that the Federal government cannot infringe (charge, indict, try, imprison, etc) on the basis of speech or of the press, etc.

If I tell someone to "shush" at the movies, I'm not infringing upon his First Amendment rights.

Same with opposing the subject of someone's painting.

BTW, welcome to DU, MyTwoSense!

[Renew Deal]

4. Bill Donahue is not someone I would take advice from.

South Park depicts him well.

[zabet]

5. I wonder if

The artist will paint Obama as Bhudda or Mohammed or any other religious icon?

[hedgehog]

7. The book, "My Name is Asher Lev" by Chaim Potek

is an excellent discussion of the significance of the image of the Crucifixion in Western culture. The artist is not saying that Obama is the Christ, but is comparing Obama's treatment to that of the Christ.

[leftynyc]

23. My mom just saw

the play on Broadway (after reading the book decades ago). Said it was wonderful and to bring kleenex.

[AlbertCat]

6. Bad art...

Tho' I love the idea of pissing off the overly religious, I read somewhere the artists stated the image was a "metaphor" and not meant to depict Obama as Christ...or something like that.
Is that why the crown of thorns? Does the artist think the Romans crowned all crucifixion victims with a crown of thorns? I know of only one.

Really... if an artists does not understand what a "metaphor" is and that this would not be taken as "Obama /jesus" then he really ain't much of an artist. You'd think understanding imagery would be a prerequisite.

It is a better painting than that crap that artist did of Jesus on the Capital steps and Obama with a burning Constitution, that's for sure.

But the ideas behind these things are so lame and sophomoric it's hardly worth getting worked up over.

[loudsue]

16. Really?

You think the ARTIST doesn't get it?

[AlbertCat]

18. You think the ARTIST doesn't get it?

No...
I think his statement about not comparing Obama to Christ was BS.... like his art.

Who cares? Bad art is just not worth worrying about.

[ZombieHorde]

30. Art is entirely subjective, so good art and bad art are qualities of the observer,

and not the art itself. Good and bad are more experiences than qualities of matter.

[JuniperLea]

26. Art is subjective... and in the eye of the beholder...

No one can really say any art is "bad art."

It's not up to you to decide what the artist intended... either you get it, or get something from the piece, or you don't.

Perhaps it is you who doesn't understand the imagery the artist is depicting.

[AlbertCat]

28. No one can really say any art is "bad art."

Oh yes you can.

The word "art" is thrown around too much, like the word "genius".

Objectively, both require skill, and an expertise in something. And if one is trying to "say something", it requires communication skills of some kind. Even art that is open to interpretation should not be interpreted at opposite ends of the poles. There is usually intent that is clear. If not.... it's bad.

"Beauty" may be in the eye of the beholder, but not "art".

[JuniperLea]

31. Art is subjective...

One man's trash is another man's treasure.

Genius requires no expertise whatsoever. There are janitors and brain surgeons in Mensa with equal intelligence, and all are the epitome of genius.

[AlbertCat]

32. You seem to confuse words a lot.

Like I said "beauty" may be subjective, but "art" isn't. Someone may think a Thomas Kinkade is beautiful, but it will never be art. Conversely, my Mother thought Maxfield Parish was just so much advertising (it WAS when she was a child) but now, because of his expertise in technique, imagery, color, etc etc, it is art.

"Genius" is not "intelligence".

Really...get a dictionary!

[JuniperLea]

34. I don't need a dictionary

As a card carrying member of Mensa, I'm well versed in what is and what is not intelligence or genius. You are confusing intelligence with knowledge... not even close to being the same thing.

I bet you don't think Candlemass or Turbonegro or Queens of the Stoneage create music either because it's not like Bach. Warhol is as much an artist as Dali. I worked for 8 years placing original artworks in corporate offices for a gentleman who is currently building an art museum in one of the largest cities in the world. I might know a thing or six about this.

[AlbertCat]

35. I bet you don't think Candlemass or Turbonegro ..... blah blah blah

Don't be a snob. (I'm not one) You don't know what I like. You accuse me of being a snob and then lay your "placing art" credentials before us...like a snob

Why would you have to "know anything" about art to define it for us if it's all subjective? Besides, many curators are also to blame for using "art" and "genius" too liberally.

Bach is my fave composer. But he is a product of the 18th century. I also love Tame Impala and Patti Smith. But comparing apples and oranges is a waste of time.

Warhol (who I like) and Dali (who is OK) are both artists who create art, but a 4 year old with finger paintings on the fridge is not. According to you, they should be judged equally, apparently.

Outsider artist Minnie Evans, with no training whatsoever is, also unlike a 4 year old, an artist. She has an understanding of color and composition. She has a purpose and inclination, clearly expressed, of using nature (mainly azalea flowers and their parts) to express her religious feelings, fashioning angels and human-like spirits out of their shapes and colors. It's art because she has skill, intent and ideas and expresses them with clarity.

Just because some people like some things and some don't, doesn't mean anything can be "art". How many velvet Elvises did you "place" in office buildings?

[JuniperLea]

36. There's an awful lot of straw men there...

I never said, for example, that you were a snob. Calling people names is against the rules.

I never said Dali and Warhol and the art of a four-year-old should be judged equally, just that it's all art. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, as you yourself have shown by saying which artists work you prefer best. Some people hate classic art with a fiery passion... that doesn't make it any less art. Most artists in the past died paupers because their work wasn't appreciated by the limited few who saw them. Who was wrong? Was it not art, or did those who saw it miss the fact? I'm saying the latter.

You were saying I needed a dictionary, and you implied I knew nothing. I was merely trying to set you straight. Thanks for showing that's not possible.

Not to enlighten a man who can be enlightened is to waste a man. To endeavor to enlighten a man who cannot be enlightened is to waste words. A wise man wastes neither his men nor his words. Paraphrased from Confucius.

TTFN

[zonkers]

8. Is this really news?

[meegbear]

11. If IPhones are Late Breaking News, then this is.

QED

[truthisfreedom]

13. Little i.

[zonkers]

25. Touche'

[NYC Liberal]

10. Really stupid, regardless of whether he has right right to do it (of course he does).

[pennylane100]

12. I sometimes think my thought process is a little off.

The first thing I thought when I saw this was that I did not like the blue suit. If it upsets the likes of Bill Donahue, I hope it is shown all over the country. It certainly makes a valid statement.

[truthisfreedom]

14. First, Obama would never wear a red tie. Second, he's not crucified... he's holding open the

proverbial curtain. The only thing that relates to christ is the crown of thorns, which I find amusing in this case. It's like he's practicing for a fake crucifixion. So in this case, it's a crucifiction.

[Separation]

22. I'm pretty sure he wore one during the debates.

A red tie that is.

[truthisfreedom]

27. Yeah, you're right, if you google Obama red tie there's a ton of images.

Bad assumption on my part.

[loudsue]

15. Does this remind anyone else of the Muslim extremists not allowing anyone to say or portray

anything about Mohammed that isn't pre-approved? The organized religions are just too much in charge of people's freedoms for my comfort.

On edit: The more I study the picture, the more I love it.

[broiles]

17. My thoughts exactly.

[marshall]

37. Has anyone threatened to kill this man yet?

Or made threats to suicide bomb the building?

[judesedit]

19. Good metaphor. The truth hurts, doesn't it? How he keeps his calm demeanor, I'll never know.

[judesedit]

20. I've seen more offensive pictures than this on national daytime tv. Get a life, Catholics.

[Throd]

21. There is always room in MOBA

[ProudToBeBlueInRhody]

24. Awful painting

Blue jacket and red tie? Fucking looks like a paint by numbers class.

[Archae]

29. Bill Donohue is constantly in a rage about just about anything, critical of Catholics.

He says the victims of child-molesting priests are to blame, since they're gay. (You figure that one out, I sure can't)

To Donohue, "The Catholic church can do no wrong."

He is the heart and stupidity of the Catholic League, who pines for the good old days of Torquemada and the Spanish Inquisition.

[Cherchez la Femme]

33. So people here

Are defending, even "love"ing this depiction of President Obama as God?

And not just any God -- as Jesus Christ, the messiah, the redeemer, the saviour of all mankind (according to Christians, mind you). There He is, up on the Holy Rood, dying a horrible, tortuous death to wash away the sins of all men.



If W were depicted like this the outrage and satire from this site would be a 9 day wonder and indeed, a legend and meme. Be prepared to be on the receiving end

Hell, the only thing missing is a sign above His head reading: "Barack Obama King of DU"


This is utterly embarrassing. Cringeworthy.

God.

[Beacool]

40. I don't get the adoration either.

Maybe Jamie Foxx can answer you.

[Nine]

38. Reminds me of this dialog from Parks & Rec:

(from memory so very approximate)

April: You don't really like Orren's art piece.
Leslie: Yes I do!
April: What do you like most about it?
Leslie: The heavyhandedness.


I think this is very bad art. And it is offensive, which of course art has a right to be, but that doesn't make it good.

[Beacool]

39. Well, at the very least is pretty crappy art.

The conservatives do have a point though when they state that anyone can mock Christians, but no one can make a mild joke or cartoon about Islam without parts of the world erupting in protests and prompting calls of a jihad.