Posted on 03/30/2007 11:38:24 AM PDT by John Jorsett
NEW YORK (AP) - A planned Holy Week exhibition of a nude, anatomically correct chocolate sculpture of Jesus Christ was canceled Friday amid a choir of complaining Catholics that included Cardinal Edward Egan.
The "My Sweet Lord" display was shut down by the hotel that houses the Lab Gallery in midtown Manhattan, said Matt Semler, the gallery's creative director. Semler said he submitted his resignation after officials at the Roger Smith Hotel shut down the show.
The six-foot sculpture was the victim of "a strong-arming from people who haven't seen the show, seen what we're doing," Semler said. "They jumped to conclusions completely contrary to our intentions."
But word of the confectionary Christ infuriated Catholics, including Egan, who described it as "a sickening display." Bill Donohue, head of the watchdog Catholic League, said it was "one of the worst assaults on Christian sensibilities ever."
The hotel and the gallery were overrun Thursday with angry phone calls and e-mails about the exhibit. Semler said the calls included death threats over the work of artist Cosimo Cavallaro, who was described as disappointed by the decision to cancel the display.
"In this situation, the hotel couldn't continue to be supportive because of a fear for their own safety," Semler said.
The sculpture was to debut Monday evening, the day after Palm Sunday and just four days before Roman Catholics mark the crucifixion of Jesus Christ on Good Friday. The final day of the exhibit was planned for Easter Sunday.
The artwork was created from more than 200 pounds of milk chocolate, and features Christ with his arms outstretched as if on an invisible cross. Unlike the typical religious portrayal of Christ, the Cavallaro creation does not include a loincloth.
(Excerpt) Read more at breitbart.com ...
Wow. I didn't know Good Friday was just for Roman Catholics! Oy. :/
I figured I would get a laugh, or flamed.
Who knew?
Where's the problem in this? The cloth isn't accurate. I'd be curious to see if the sculptor did a "traditional" Jesus or gave the figure more Semitic features.
The "artist" should take the statue to New Orleans. Isn't that "Chocolate City"?
That was funny! Nice to see someone still has a sense of humor around here.
I'd rather see a mohammed made out of pork products.
I'd prefer a BBQ pork one. But I am in Memphis... ;)
________
I would not want to waste perfectly good pork bbq on such a gesture. Pork BBQ is waaaaaay too good for that.
Cosimo isn't an artist, he's a clown.
Hmmm, Fear. Sounds like a good tactic. Should be used more frequently!
If Cosimo made that sculpture with the intent to insult Christ, he failed miserably. I've seen a complete image/video of the sculpture on MSNBC.com and it's the most sympathy invoking piece of art ever (even more than the various Pietas). I almost started to tear-up viewing it. It captures the shame and suffering of a death by crucifixion amazingly.
Ummm. I think George Harrison got sued over that tune (My Sweet Lord). The ruling went against him...
Jeez, I meant "evoking" not "invoking".
Gee, I am offended. Lucky no one is organizing any riots though.
*snort* you know, if they'd just done a 'plastic Jesus' in chocolate, there wouldn't have been all the hoopla. Guess they just HAD to do the 'nekkid Jesus', just to get attention.
"Because as an artist, I am SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO much smarter than you clodhoppers are!" he continued in a hissy fit.
Seriously, the bottle has a Skull and Crossbones on it, and is labeled "poison". Do I actually need to drink it just to prove something to a Liberal?
What is it about you Lefties that makes you feel so superior that whenever someone finally stands up and says, "No, this far and no further!" that you automatically assume that the problem is that "they failed to fully get their message across?"
"In this situation, the hotel couldn't continue to be supportive because of a fear for their own safety," Semler said.
Listen, pally; If you really had an ounce of guts, you would go out and do this to Mohammad on the first day of Ramhamadamadingdong. I can't remember the last time someone in My Faith actully had the conjones to punch someone over the continuing, ongoing, eternal slandering of My Lord by a bunch of foot-stamping, limp-wristed, whiney, self-important "art-teests". Good gosh, you must be really offensive just to get someone to say "that's morally offensive." If you had REAL guts, you'd cheese off the turbin-toaters...they kill people for their "god." Hey, wait a minute! You don't suppose you did this just because My People are unlikely to harm you in any way, and you are an abject coward, do you?
Truest words ever said by a talented but misguided Lefty writer: "Happy people do not need to make art"...Garrison Keillor.
This is just my idea, but what say we go get a bunch of Christians and piss on this thing, and call it "performance art."
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