Art and Polytheisms
Posted by Brando Dimagiba on 08/22/2011 04:02 PM
Never has the cultural value of art been more evident than when it creates controversy. Art, as it should, inspires joy and sadness, fear and anger, trust and disgust, and surprise and anticipation. Not necessarily at the same time nor for the same piece, but the whole gamut of emotions can be derived from what we perceive. Art is what the artist makes of it and we take away what we draw from it. It invokes the human emotion, and this is what makes it powerful. Especially if there are religious overtones and most especially if there are overt religious themes.
In September 1999, New York City's Brooklyn Museum opened a show entitled "Sensation," featuring works by British artists under the age of 40. The show had several pieces that generated immediate controversy and outrage.
One such piece was Damien Hirst's "This Little Piggy Went to Market, This Little Piggy Stayed Home," which featured a pig split in half and preserved in formaldehyde. Another, and was the most controversial, was the "Holy Virgin Mary." It was a painting by Nigerian-born artist Chris Ofili, which depicted the Madonna adorned with elephant dung and pictures of women's genitalia cut out from pornographic magazines.
Protests erupted from religious groups, political activists, and even from the city's Mayor, Rudolph Giuliani. He threatened to cut off city funding, attempted to fire the Museum's Board of Trustees, and announced plans to evict the Museum from its building.
Read full article here.
