Bush painting provokes furor in Montreal

Toronto Star ^ | March 12. 2003

[Dog Gone]

'I couldn't ask for anything better,' artist says

MONTREAL (CP) - A painting showing the World Trade Center towers protruding from U.S. President George W. Bush's trousers was torn down and later restored at an art festival today at Concordia University.

The painting was defaced and torn down by irate students before being restored later today.

The painting depicts Bush wearing a cowboy hat, with the twin towers extending from his unzipped pants.

Concordia student Ari Daniel called the painting a disgrace to the university on Wednesday. Daniel said it made light of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks that killed almost 3,000 and destroyed the New York City office towers.

"They're basically laughing at all the people who died, and they're saying it's okay," said Daniel.

Artist Allison Moore denied she was trivializing the Sept. 11 deaths, but acknowledged she was excited by all the discussion her painting created.

"That give and take, and that exchange of opinions, is very important," said Moore.

"I couldn't ask for anything better."

Moore said she was disappointed her work was defaced, but said the vandalism was part of the dialogue her piece was intended to generate.

Concordia has become a major flash point for debates and skirmishes over international issues in the last 18 months.

Pro-Palestinian protesters forced the cancellation of a scheduled speech last September by former Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at Concordia's downtown campus.

Windows were smashed and several people were arrested after the demonstrators clashed with riot police.

Emily Pearlman, organizer of this week's art festival, said the controversial painting of Bush has sparked a political debate at Concordia.

"People have now taken it to a different level in terms of yelling and screaming about different events that aren't necessarily related to the piece," said Pearlman.

The painting is scheduled to remain on display at Concordia until Friday.

[TheBattman]

Can we test another MOAB on that campus to test the effects on structures? I think it would make a great study!

[danneskjold]

Bush

• Liberation of Afghanistan
• Liberation of Iraq (soon)
• Partial Birth Abortion passes Senate (House soon)
• etc...

Bush Foes

• Lewd, offensive artwork
• Hateful rhetoric
• Peaceful Violent Anti-War protests
• etc..

speaks for itself...

[The_Victor]

The painting depicts Bush wearing a cowboy hat, with the twin towers extending from his unzipped pants.

How juvenile. Most people outgrow this sort of bilge by the time they are five.

[xm177e2]

Hows about someone puts up a painting of Ariel Sharon driving a D-9 over Arafat, Yassin, and Chretien? Now THAT would get the commies' attention! Free speech for me and not for thee, eh?

[Dog Gone]

Concordia University is very lucky that I don't live within driving distance.

[OldFriend]

To be expected.

[CROSSHIGHWAYMAN]

The so-called artist should be duct taped to an I beam and dropped from 1000 feet.........

just call it performance art!

[Steve_Seattle]

"How juvenile."

True. I hope that the general public - if it sees enough of this sort of thing - will come to the conclusion that the Left is in fact crude, ugly, and juvenile, and that it is in fact the Right which stands for beauty and quality in art. The Left specializes in art which is deliberately crude and offensive, and the public will eventually catch on.

[Alouette]

Artist Allison Moore denied she was trivializing the Sept. 11 deaths, but acknowledged she was excited by all the discussion her painting created.

"That give and take, and that exchange of opinions, is very important," said Moore.

"But what is most important, is all the ATTENTION I'm getting!!"

[Chad Fairbanks]

"But what is most important, is all the ATTENTION I'm getting!!"

BINGO!

[PaxMacian]

Yelling FIRE! in a theater is not poetry.
One liner, advertisement like, visual anarchist propaganda is not Art.

[Chad Fairbanks]

Ping! Here's another idiotic artist doing something for attention, which I'm not gonna waste my time getting outraged about... She wants attention, and I don't intend to give it to her...

The painting depicts Bush wearing a cowboy hat, with the twin towers extending from his unzipped pants.

[Mister Baredog]

Pro-Palestinian protesters forced the cancellation of a scheduled speech last September by former Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at Concordia's downtown campus. Windows were smashed and several people were arrested after the demonstrators clashed with riot police

This is what substitutes for free speech on many campuses today. THESE ARE SCARY TIMES

[Humbug]

"That give and take, and that exchange of opinions, is very important," said Moore.

Hmm, yes, i see her point. It is a thought-provoking painting and it certainly does lead to debate. Why just now i'm internally debating whether this so-called artist is simply a shallow, moronic individual or whether this so-called artist is just using the old "shock the public" technique to try and obscure the fact she has little talent and would never get noticed otherwise (in addition of course to being a shallow, moronic individual).

[Aura Of The Blade]

Montreal has always been on the fringe, which goes back to the October Crisis and violent union strikes that followed. The bulk of these university campuses today are similar to terrorist training camps run by marxists and anarchists.