Knuckling under
Artists too frightened to tackle radical Islam
Britain’s contemporary artists are fêted around the world for their willingness to shock but fear is preventing them from tackling Islamic fundamentalism. Grayson Perry, the cross-dressing potter, Turner Prize winner and former Times columnist, said that he had consciously avoided commenting on radical Islam in his otherwise highly provocative body of work because of the threat of reprisals.Perry also believes that many of his fellow visual artists have also ducked the issue, and one leading British gallery director told The Times that few major venues would be prepared to show potentially inflammatory works.
“I’ve censored myself,” Perry said at a discussion on art and politics organised by the Art Fund. “The reason I haven’t gone all out attacking Islamism in my art is because I feel real fear that someone will slit my throat.”
Perry’s highly decorated pots can sell for more than £50,000 and often feature sex, violence and childhood motifs. One work depicted a teddy bear being born from a penis as the Virgin Mary.
Uh-huh. But the “Christianists” are “every bit as bad if not worse” right, Horatius? And as one of Amy Alkon’s commenters (post title: “Art pussies“) has it, doesn’t this mean the terrorists have won — at least against craven, cowering art-world milksops with more juvenile will to offend than actual courage and integrity?
Contemptible, despicable, sniveling worms, the lot of ‘em.
(Via Insty)
Update! Related:
NEW YORK: The American photographer Andres Serrano, who gained notoriety with his photographs of corpses and a work entitled Piss Christ, was gunned down earlier today in Manhattan. New York City Police Department spokesman Kevin McEngano said his department had received a letter from a previously unknown group called Warriors of Christ for Justice that has claimed credit.
McEngano quoted from the letter: ”Let it be known that offensives to the Christ and His Bride will no longer be met with mere words. Blasphemers like Serrano will no longer profit by mocking the Redeemer.”
As Dan Darleen (thanks to BJTexas for the correction; apologies to Darleen) says, not really. But never mind; nothing whatever can change the plain “fact” that the Xtianists are still the gravest threat to all of us, by far.
Being “reality”-based means never having to acknowledge reality.
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BTW: the Serrano goof from PW (whch took me and others in at first) was written by Darleen so you should write "As Darleen says..."
Even she has to realize that what comes out of her mouth is pure bullshit.