A Sydney council has removed a “playful” artwork of Jesus Christ overlaid with Looney Tunes characters after a torrent of online abuse.
Sydney artist Philjames’ work, Jesus Speaks to the Daughters of Jerusalem, was removed from the Blake Art Prize exhibition at the Casula Powerhouse Arts Centre after fierce criticism was directed at the artist and gallery on Friday, just two days before the eight-week exhibition ended.
The biennial prize at the Liverpool city council gallery recognises contemporary artwork that explore spirituality and religion and draws artists from all beliefs and cultural backgrounds.
But a last-minute online protest claimed the 2023 oil-on-lithograph work mocked the Christian religion, with some protesters threatening the museum and its staff – many of whom are volunteers – with violence.
Philjames said he received about 200 “vile” social media messages on Friday and Saturday, with the gallery receiving over 60 phone calls from protesters on Friday alone.
“I do like stirring a bit of a reaction with my work, but the novelty very quickly wore off on Friday. The level of vitriol and the sheer volume of it was actually frightening,” the 48-year-old said.
“I’ve been doing these sorts of works for around 15 years and I’ve had one or two people upset but nothing like this. It was vile and not at all Christian.”
Actually there’s nothing more Christian than getting worked up about this sort of thing, they’ve had centuries of practice at it. And having got worked up about it, it’s a short step to threatening (or just taking) action against whatever they’re worked up about; recent American history should show us how increasingly short that step is becoming.
Now this thing has been on the artist’s Instagram since last year and it’s been exhibited too; apparently entering it into an art competition I wouldn’t have thought was that popular made all the difference eventually, cos it was on show from May and yet it’s evidently only just been whined about. So ‘twould appear there’s been a concerted effort by someone, I wonder who…
Charlie Bakhos, the founder of conservative Catholic group, Christian Lives Matter, told supporters on social media that the “shocking disrespectful art” had been removed.
“This is another attack on Christianity we have managed to put a stop to thanks to everyone’s support. Let’s keep defending our faith respectfully and we will get results as Jesus is on our side.”
Oh, THOSE cunts. How surprising to find them apparently involved.
Anyway, as I often say in these instances, if you find your faith under attack from bullshit like this thing, your faith isn’t worth piss. Cos, frankly, neither is this art; it’s just a co-opting of some other religious painting and slapping a few cartoon faces on it (are they even “Looney Tunes” characters as such?) and… to no point that I can see. James has another picture of Jesus leading some children but he’s added the “born to kill” helmet from Full Metal Jacket and stuck it on Jesus’ head. THAT actually makes some kind of point which this thing doesn’t, it’s just vacuous. And James actually says as much himself, he reckons it was just a bit of absurd fun. So probably as little point in me getting worked up about it as Charlie Bakhos and Ned Mannoun? I don’t know. But I think I find this picture I found on Tumblr of the Last Supper painted on a saltine cracker more valuable as art:
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