Tuesday, April 26, 2011

It's Easter. So what real harm can one little cross do, after all?

Not having "spoken out" on the vandalism to Andres Serrano's photograph Piss Christ (1987) that took place last week, this seems worth sharing:


"When I heard that Piss Christ had been vandalised, I instantly thought of Cock Jesus. More of Cock Jesus later. In case, like me, you hadn't heard of Piss Christ, let me explain that it's an artwork – a photograph, taken by artist Andres Serrano, of a plastic crucifix submerged in his own quite orange urine – maybe he'd just had a Berocca. Last weekend, some devout Christians attacked Piss Christ with a hammer.

I say that's just a continuation of the artistic process. By creating a new work, Shards Piss Christ, these extremist Catholics made a profound artistic statement about Piss Christ's desecration of holy imagery by themselves violating the sanctity of the gallery. It's a devotional work worthy of comparison to the Sistine Chapel.

I hope the process continues. Shards Piss Christ could, say, be pelted with excrement, making Shit Shards Piss Christ. That could be shoved in a bin bag, making Bin Bag Shit Shards Piss Christ. Someone might be sick on that, creating Vomit Bin Bag Shit Shards Piss Christ..."

Read David Mitchell's full column here.

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