The infamous Jacob Zuma painting

[Dave A]

And back on topic - I quite liked this article by Khaya Dlanga. Ultimately quite similar to my view, except my by-line would be "The ANC could be better than this".

If it is better, they wouldn't have gone about things the way they did, would they.

[CLIVE-TRIANGLE]

I'll most likely get flack for this, but here goes anyway....

Personally I believe that he, with rampant penis, put that appendage squarely(?) in the public domain.

I also can't help wondering about the choice of name for the painting...
We all know that uMkhonto we sizwe means basically "Spear Of The Nation". That, rather succinctly, puts it in a nutshell. Pun not intended. Only, spears are straight, sharp and threatening; hardly a similarity. I find the absence of similarity between the MK of old and the ANC of new, to be quite stark.

I don't believe there is such a thing as "distasteful art". Distasteful subject matter yes, but that's rather the point of art.

There is no satire in that painting. It is brutal and loaded with bitterness and cynicism, which is, I gather, exactly how the artist had come to feel.

The developments since has only served to put the long suffering appendage more firmly in the international public domain.

Anyone who takes a politician seriously has himself got serious issues; I believe they ultimately get what they deserve.

[adrianh]

No flac from me...

I don't believe there is such a thing as "distasteful art". Distasteful subject matter yes, but that's rather the point of art.

I am going to to stash this line in my treasurechest of wisdom.

[Just Gone]

@ Clive .......... respect your opinion, but the majority of people seem to think it is distatefull. Personally I agree - if everyone was allowed to go around disrespecting your leader you would have anarchy. You will never get everyone to agree with a leader or someone with political opinions, but you still have to show some respect at the end of the day.

[Dave A]

The picture has now been rated PG16 by the SA Publications Board. I've taken appropriate measures to ensure TFSA complies with the rating requirements.

[Citizen X]

My final thoughts on this painting debacle are as follows:
1.The problem and challenge with this painting debacle is that it has now made racism very difficult to define or to identify. All South Africans know what racism is. We all aware of all those repugnant Apartheid words used to insult various racial groups. We also know how discrimination presents itself. This painting is a grey area, a ‘he said, she said, debacle.’ The artist Bret Murray is an anti Apartheid activist, he provides that racism was not his intention. His satirical painting is directed at one individual and not the entire Black population group. The ANC says its racist, the artist says it’s not racist, a typical ‘he said, she said,’ scenario. To surmise we have verifiable instances of public racism by Julius Malema. There is no confusion that his actions were racist. His outbursts should be seen as clear example of racism;
2.The painting is distasteful, disrespectful and immoral. As at today’s date it’s not unlawful. In my opinion it’s not racism. It’s just disrespectful. If I critique that piece of art, and it will be a layman’s critique, and I will critique it on a presumption that JZ is not the man portrayed in the painting but rather that Mr X is portrayed in that painting and further that the name of the painting is not ‘the spear,’ but rather ‘The pillar,’ I find as follows:
3. It’s a hideous piece of art that I most certainly will not pay any gallery to go and see it.I certainly will not buy such a painting. It has mostly dark colours and is not a pleasant painting to look at. It’s certainly no Mona Lisa! It doesn’t matter whether it’s Jz’s genitals or Mr X’s genitals but I don’t want to be looking at any man’s genitals.
4. Pornography: 16 N: Try this, take a picture of that painting and ask Hustler or Playboy to publish it as pornography and see what they say! Former US Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart remarked on pornography, saying, ‘I know it when I see it’.
4. The figure depicted in that painting before it was defaced doesn’t even look like Jacob Zuma. I’m not entirely certain how it is identified as Jacob Zuma i.e. does it have his name at the bottom or is it from inference of ‘The Spear,’ that this painting is identified as a painting portraying JZ? A good artist should be able to accurately paint a specific person. I know nothing about art or sculptures but I know a great deal about music and poetry. I know that the same interpretative element used in music and poetry finds application in art.
5. Alls well that ends well. I commend the ANC for the manner in which they brought closure i.e. not taking the freedom of expression to court;
6. The problem with poetry and art is that it is subject to interpretation: In 1986 I became fascinated with the rich metaphors and analogies in reggae music. One song in particular had me mind boggled for some 15 years. “ They say the sun shines for all, but I tell you that in some people’s worlds it don’t shine at all.’ My interpretation was that this meant that some people live good lives because they have wealth and all the luxuries that wealth can bring and therefore the sun shines in their life whilst on the other hand we have people living in informal settlements under abject misery and as a result of this the sun doesn’t shine in their world at all. My interpretation was wrong! In 2001 after 15 years after the fact I bought the book, ‘Catch a fire: The Life of Bob Marley by Timothy White. I was surprised to learn that Bob Marley meant that because some people have God in their lives the sun shines in their lives but other people don’t have God in their lives and therefore the sun doesn’t shine in their lives!
7. Perception: Rorschach inkblot test:I’m no psychologist, I’m the mental patient! That said, even as a layman to medicine I know that different people will perceive the ink blots in the
Rorschach inkblot test differently!
8. Now of course, my point of departure with these tests will always be ‘The Watchmen, Rorchach’s answers to the psychologist questions. Rationale: Even though the inkblot pictures may make you see violent and murderous activities, you don’t say so!


What do you see when you see these inkblots?


In the movie Rorchach seen some violent and murderous things when he was shown the inkblots!!! When asked , What do you see? He replied, ‘some nice pretty flowers,’ ‘a nice little butterfly,’
I proudly give you the best way to answer when faced with these inkblots!!!

[Dave A]

I can't understand why the Goodman Gallery and some of the art world are trying to appeal the ruling by the publications board. All the shenanigans that have gone on about this picture really proves the board's point - the picture is only suitable for a mature audience.

If I was going to argue with the board's ruling, it would merely be to point out that being over the age of 16 is clearly no assurance of maturity. But what do you do - give everyone an art appreciation and intellectual maturity quiz before they can view the painting?

[adrianh]

Well, now that artworks that have a tottie are considered to be rated 16 I've had to cover up all my art. I covered all the totties in the house with pink glow in the dark condoms - so the questions is this; is a statue of David in its natural form more offensive than the same statue sporting a neon pink glow in the dark condom. Now when anybody walks in the house they no longer go 'wow, that is a nice life size statue of David', no, they now go 'f....me, that dude has a big glow in the dark neon weener'

Now here is a question, If I were to do an artwork of myself with my weener pointing south, am I allowed to put that artwork on my own website, if yes, howcome, if not, then who is going to stop me. Girlie sites let it all hang out and the ANC don't complain about that.

I have just decided what my new avatar is going to be, ok, I can't sport a spear, JZ has dibs on that, but I can sure sport a model train.

[Blurock]

The juveniles have won. The "spear" is now a racist word. All references to Shakespeare, spearmint, spear tackle or any other spears are now offensive and these words should be blotted from our dictionaries. We should also not display images of spears and should remove all such offensive images.

[adrianh]

In order to reconcile a nation divided by "The Spear", Stevie Wonder just released a new song entitled:

Ebony and Ivory Schlongs

which tells about some buck naked black dude and a buck naked white dude sharing a piano stool