The infamous Jacob Zuma painting

[AndyD]

I'm surprised how many people are against the painting. I'm wondering why with the Zapiro incident Zapiro had much more clear public support than this artist seems to.

[Justloadit]

Hi Andy,

I think that Zapiro was far more tactful with his cartoon showing a shower head. The current artist, just stuck private parts on an illustration which resembles JZ, and then calls it art.

[AndyD]

I think one of the keywords is 'art' which by definition is engineered to cause an emotion or feeling in the viewer. On this level the painting would handsomely fullfil the definition of being art.

[Phil Cooper]

It has been sold for R136,000 to an overseas collector

[tec0]

In the end South Africans live in shame as "tradition" dictates behaviour of many "important" people. Now is this art?

Consider this, art is used to "express" an opinion about a "public" figure now how they do it may be controversial, however if it wasn’t would anyone have noticed it?
Fact is if someone cannot express their opinion about someone "in politics" any more can we still consider it to be a democracy?

Cartoon artists had a bad run in?
The media was sued?

Is it not true that we face a new law that pushes for media blackouts?
Is it not true that we face new laws regarding government secrecy?

[Chrisjan B]

http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/Ne...-Zuma-20120521

[tec0]

Do the poor enjoy poverty? Do the unemployed enjoy hopelessness? Do those who can't get housing enjoy homelessness? He must get over it. No one is having a good time. He should inspire the reverence he craves. This portrait is what he inspired. Shame neh! [sic]"

Spoken like a true South African

[Willie0100]

Not much too say about this, however I can say this........
Welcome to the "NEW" South Africa, where you can do what you want, kill, rape steal insult the president by means of a painting......"BUT"!!!! do not spill liquid of any kind on his shoes......You'll get sued.......

[wynn]

Zapiro won't be left out

Zapiro likes to be part of the controversy

[Citizen X]

1. My opinion: The painting is distasteful but is not unlawful. The artist could found many other ways to express his opinion. I don’t know that I really want to see any painting or picture or statue of any man with his genitals exposed!I’m not confident that JZ will succeed with his application. Freedom of expression is at the very heart of a democracy. If citizen perceive a President in a certain manner and articulate such perception in poetry, art and writings, then this is indicative of a wider perception in society. The office of the President should be respected and citizens should also be respected;
2. The Government is engaging in selective morality. They condone the repungent, ‘kill the boer song,’ by standing with Julius Malema on this matter, despite the fact that this song is an infringement of section 16(2)(b) of the very same Constitution of 1996 that the President is now invoking! Struggle songs have their place in our history, I myself sang struggle songs as a kid in high school in the 80’s. There is no longer an Apartheid government and therefore no longer a need for specific struggle songs whose rightful intention was tocall people to arms and revolution. Struggle songs inciting hatred and violence have no purpose or place in a democratic South Africa. My point, the government perceives the ‘kill the boer song,’ to be okay but this painting to be a crime against humanity;
3. The President could have won the respect of all South Africans by winning our respect, by using his office to make decisions in our favour i.e When the president seen such profound anti tolling sentiment, he should have then taken the decision that he is scrapping etolling;


“10 Human dignity

Everyone has inherent dignity and the right to have their dignity respected and protected
16 Freedom of expression
(1) Everyone has the right to freedom of expression, which includes-
(a) freedom of the press and other media;
(b) freedom to receive or impart information or ideas;
(c) freedom of artistic creativity; and
(d) academic freedom and freedom of scientific research.


(2) The right in subsection (1) does not extend to-

(a) propaganda for war;
(b) incitement of imminent violence; or
(c) advocacy of hatred that is based on race, ethnicity, gender or religion, and that constitutes incitement to cause harm.”

[IanF]

Here we go a nude painting of the Canadian prime Minister. Link Quite a different way of handling it.

[Citizen X]

Good afternoon Ian,
At least in this case the prime minister’s spokesman hit back but in a witty manner!
“Parliamentarians called it “a bit tacky,” “pretty close to the line,” and “esthetically offensive.”The prime minister's spokesman Andrew MacDougall reacted in a Twitter message, “We're not impressed. Everyone knows the PM is a cat person.” - Sapa-AFP

[Justloadit]

There's a big difference with respect to the Canadian incident. Firstly, their democracy has been invoked far longer than our democracy, and therefor is far mature to take this type of situation, and secondly with the way in which women are treated, and the number of rape cases reported daily that takes place in RSA, the blatant display of the private parts, basically says that it is an acceptable crime and way to be seen.

It still does not make it acceptable!

[Citizen X]

Justloadit, you on to something! Your proposition that our democracy is not as mature as Canada's holds very true! The inference is that we must now see this as teething problems...

[IanF]

Wouldn't it be nice if the ANC and Zuma, just said children behave yourselves like he used to with the ANCYL. Then this would blow over and the media would have to find something else to harp on about.
Also if the gallery and artist just replied we didn't mean to offend you, we thought that satire would be acceptable, so we will just show the painting privately.
Anyway this does show we are a young democracy!