Posted on 02/03/2006 11:47:49 AM PST by voletti
Our interest in this story was sparked by an angry email sent to us here at WCBSTV.com. The writer wasn't angry at us, but rather about what he'd seen at the current National Black Fine Art Show in the Puck Building. This is the 10th anniversary edition of the show which features galleries from across the country selling the works of America's top African American painters, sculptors, and photographers.
But the writer had big problems with a painting by Harlem artist "Tafa". It depicts an upside down Christ-like figure with a face strongly resembling Osama Bin Laden. The email read in part, "This is outrageous. This is an attack against my religion. How can an artist go so low? Most people are outraged, most Christians."
On the phone with me, the artist declined to do an on-camera interview, telling me the work speaks for itself, but adding, the resemblance to Bin Laden was no accident.
The art show's producer Josh Wainwright, insisted he hadn't even made the Bin Laden connection. "Knowing what you know now would you have barred the painting from being part of your show?" I asked. "Absolutely not," he replied. Wainwright says he's a military veteran and despises Bin Laden, but he added, "I don't think it's anyone's job or vocation to limit the expression of artists."
(Excerpt) Read more at wcbstv.com ...
Sounds like he suffered from seizures- it is a fact the seizure victims often experience 'spiritual visions' during seizures.
Agreed, good idea! The heads of Karl Marx, or may Che or Fidel would work very well also.
No offense taken.
When we crucify Osama, he ain't coming back.
"...but he added, "I don't think it's anyone's job or vocation to limit the expression of artists.""
The unbiased MSM disagrees - I heard they won't run those cartoons of Mohammed.
This was New York? Be interesting to see what Bill Clinton has to say about this...
Tafa is a west African living in Harlem, he is not a NYer or even American.
If you can prove it, we've got a case. Get Liberty Counsel to bring a lawsuit over it.
I think you're right, though. And remember that the ACLU brought litigation against the Scouts for receiving public support as de minimus as being allowed to camp on public lands.
It's a matter of public record. So it's easy to prove. All you need to do is find out the name of the local arts group that supports him. They would have applied and recieved a federal grant for a program, a "help the struggling artists" or something like that, and this artist would have allied for funds from this group, and most likely recieved some money to help him with supplies and costs. This work is no doubt the product of this scam.
How do you think all these "artists" survive? It just another form of welfare if you ask me. The 'street smart' know how to access it.
There are, in all probability, university pamplets to this effect.
He may also have allied directly for a grant from the federal government. search http://www.grants.gov/
Here's a side by side comparison between a black Christ painting and Osama.
http://kokonutpundits.blogspot.com/2006/02/comparing-osama-and-black-christ.html
There is no doubt what this guy had in mind.
Since Muslims think Christ was a Prophet, not the Lord,
obviously this 'artist' is portraying Osama as a persecuted prophet of Islam. It's a religious message, statement or whatever you want to call it.
I find it offensive to say the least. We need to ask, is this a "artist" a moderate muslim? If so, clearly moderate muslims support Osama's religious war against the west, and our government is directly or indirectly supporting the costs of producing and advertizing this religious message.
He's from Ghana which is only 16% muslim but 63% Christian. The remainder is Animist. I don't know where this POS fits.
While I would be infuriated if this were true, after seeing the pics online I have to say that it is a stretch to say that the author is connecting Jesus and Osama bin Laden. The resemblance simply isn't great enough.
A .357 Magnum riddled bin-laden target adorns the wall of my basement workshop. My grandson knows him as the bad guy who tried to kill Grandma and his uncle.
We got one and scanned it so we could practice over and over again. He looks best when resembling Swiss cheese, don't you think?
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