Art student David Cordero's papier mache sculpture of Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama as a messianic figure - titled "Blessing" - is causing a stir at a Chicago art school
CHICAGO (April 3) - He wears Jesus' robes and a neon blue halo, looks like Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama and is causing a stir at a Chicago art school.
An undergraduate student's papier mache sculpture of Obama as a messianic figure - entitled "Blessing" - went on display Saturday at a downtown gallery run by the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. By Monday, word of the piece had spread on political blogs, and the school had been flooded with calls.
David Cordero, 24, made the sculpture for his senior show after noticing all the attention Obama has received since he first hinted he may run for the presidency.
"All of this is a response to what I've been witnessing and hearing, this idea that Barack is sort of a potential savior that might come and absolve the country of all its sins," Cordero said. "In a lot of ways it's about caution in assigning all these inflated expectations on one individual, and expecting them to change something that many hands have shaped."
Obama's campaign worked Monday to the distance the Illinois senator from the artwork.
"While we respect First Amendment rights and don't think the artist was trying to be offensive, Senator Obama, as rule, isn't a fan of art that offends religious sensibilities," said Obama spokeswoman Jen Psaki.
Cordero said the school had fielded plenty of calls about his work, "some of them from angry people." He also said he had heard fromafew potential buyers.
Bruce Jenkins, dean of the art school's undergraduate program, said response to the piece - part of a student exhibition - has been mostly positive. He said people should take a close look at the sculpture and the context it was created in before judging it.
"When you see it, when you spend time it with it, you understand that it's not a provocative work at all," Jenkins said. "It opens a set of questions."
Most Popular - Last 24 Hours Possible Caves on Mars Intrigue ScientistsCouple's Home Razed After Three-Year FightTexas Workers Find Fetus in Sewer PipeSculpture of Obama as Jesus Causes StirTeacher Convicted of Making Bomb ThreatsThe Archdiocese of Chicago had not seen the work as of Monday afternoon and could not comment on it, said spokeswoman Dianne Dunagan.
The piece comes amid Catholic outrage in New York that led to an art gallery canceling an exhibit featuring a nude 6-foot-tall, anatomically correct chocolate sculpture of Jesus Christ.
Artist Cosimo Cavallaro said Saturday that he has received threats as a result of the sculpture, called "My Sweet Lord." Cavallaro said the controversy spurred "thousands" of e-mail messages from people offering help, donations and exhibition space.
Michelangelo
- This Christ from the Last Judgement by Michelangelo appears to me to be a portly young man, a little heavy. Although Jesus' muscles are evident, they appear "soft", not the same as an athlete, or laborer. Why would the artist choose this appearance? Let's speculate. This is the risen Christ with a "glorified" body. It would not have the defects of a body on earth, although there is a red wound barely visible that would correspond to the spear thrust into his side at the Crucifixion. A really thin body might be seen by Michelangelo's contemporaries as a symptom of illness. To be thin and muscular might indicate someone who works hard at physical labor, like a peasant or soldier. The well off, the nobility and clergy, would not be engaging in physical labor. Jesus at the Judgment would rank higher than any of these and it may be that the artist wanted to communicate a sense of rank.
- The face does not seem to me to be particularly handsome or ugly. This might be the artist's way of avoiding disrespect for the Christ and criticism. If he were too handsome, if he exuded sexual magnetism, it would probably be seen as blasphemous. A face that is ugly or ferocious could also seem blasphemous, with the added result of making Christ seem unapproachable. [In contrast, look at the Christ of the Fiery Eye, from 14th century
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