What to Think?

"The Truth" by Michael D’Antuono

Source: /www.boston.com

The illustration accompanying this posting is of a painting entitled, "The Truth," by Michael D’Antuono.  It is part of an exhibition called, “Artists on the Stump: The Road to the White House 2012,” which is being shown at Bunker Hill Community College, Boston, until December 15th.  It has sparked a good deal of controversy including hate mail and death threats.

According to a news posting at boston.com (here), "D’Antuono said he personally does not associate Obama with Christ; rather, this work is a commentary on the conservative media, who he thinks 'crucified' Obama with their attacks. Additionally, the conservative press promoted the idea that liberals thought Obama was their 'savior,' D’Antuono said."  OK.  But, I don't think very many viewers of the painting are going to get that message.  As a communication process, it is a failure (in my ever humble opinion, of course).

What some people will see is that this painting makes a mockery of the crucifixion and of the person of Christ.  It suggests how cheap and mundane the Christ Event has become in contemporary secular culture.  What others will see is that it also mocks President Obama, suggesting that he sees himself as a Christ-figure.  The artist's protestations not withstanding, the painting is offensive to Christians and, frankly, to supporters of the president.  It does, however, accomplish one thing, which is to picture how ugly and unaesthetic much of our public political discourse has become in recent years.  The painting itself is heavy-handed, about as subtle as a sledge-hammer, and it looks photo-shopped.

That being said, D'Antuono has a constitutional right to paint and display this work, and BHCC has the same constitutional right to exhibit it.  The hate mail and death threats are doubly misplaced.  First, all they accomplish is to contribute to the poisonous atmosphere of public discourse; and, second, they give this "work of art" more significance than it deserves.