While watching Entertainment Tonight last night I was shocked to see that some New York artist has created a life size bronze statue of Prince Harry as a dead soldier. I couldn`t quite believe it so I went off to look on the internet only to find it`s made headlines everywhere. While he is an extremely talented artist, this boarders on being sadistic. No matter what message he is trying to get across, this is inexcusable. As someone who`s Mum is rather anti-royalist due to experiencing food rationing in England while the royals ate well during the war and a Dad who lived in Canada on a farm where food was abundant and has a fascination with this family, I`m somewhere in between.
No matter how hard this guy tries to explain his intentions, they remain to me, a violent message. Poor young Harry, regardless of his heritage must be horrified inside, much less his family. Imagine gazing down at yourself, rendered dead. And have a notice that one can lay flowers around you!!!! Truly twisted and I`m stunned that even "in the name of art" this was allowed to be exhibited to the world. An anonymous figure of a young soldier or a mother Iraqi cradling her dying son. Or both? It would have been so much more appropriate if it`s true why he says he did it. He could have done something stark and bare and heartrending. Something to slap people in the face and wake them up. Unfortunately the nesessary ones still woundn`t.
This war and the never ending tragic loss of lives is horrendous, but this isn`t the
right way to get a proper message across....this is just wrong. Obviously he`s looking for shock value and fame. Sadly he`s getting it.
I`m can`t feel right about even putting a picture of this statue on my blog but here`s a couple of links if you haven`t seen it already.
Hope everyone has a great weekend. I know this family won`t be though. Imagine if the same rules didn`t apply that did a few centuries ago. This dude would be one sorry sucker. Whatever happened to human decency...yeah I know....it`s a thing of the past...if it ever really existed at all......
This got me thinking of a tragic story I heard on the radio and a woman in the Sadam. It was unmaginable to me. How she could still carry on each day. The genocide that`s happening there. It`s so easy to forget the horrors happening in countries we`re blessed not to be experiencing personally, when we can come home at the end of the day`s work, to a cozy safe home in our cozy safe world.. Africa, Iraq, Afghanistan ,Palestine and Israel, parts of South America, I`m sure many others that the media doesn`t report...where people are surrounded by turmoil, injustice and death each day. Hearing first hand stories makes it real. Unreal to us. If only there could be an end to all this fighting about greed and land and power centuries over. If only. Everyone deserves to be able to live a safe and peaceful and prosperous life. There is enough for everyone in this world. Everyone in every corner of this planet. But when and how can this ever occur? Will it? Can man become friend with man and forget about different walks of faith. Leave alone each other about that and just be humane and lose the power-tripping and greed? Honour each others faiths and let it bloody well go? God is God and we all just use a different name for Him and most of the rules were man-made.
Okay, I`m done :)
http://www.abc
news.go.com/International/story?id=3694341&page=1
http://www.princeharrymemorial.com/
16 comments:
I hear ya Tea! those boys take enough flak! at the moment its the inquest into their Mothers death, which is unearthing all kinds of stuff that wont make any difference! these two boys were children when Princess Diana died,why cant they be left alone? Royalty or not, you wouldnt wish it upon your worst enemy!
Hi Tea, interesting post and I hold a lot of the same sentiments.
I'm partial to Harry because one of my sons is about the same age as he is and they looked like they could be twins when they were younger..well in some of his pics anyway.
Strange stuff going on these days in the name of art, or politics or what have you.
sandy
I had not heard of it, so thanks for the rant. I agree with you on this for sure. Some people are so...so....Arrgghhh don't get me started!
i saw that and thought it was just not nice....i guess it was to make a point, but still, he's a young man now and it's a lot of media attention and the shock value as you say!!
Check out the video on my blog to see how I feel. (I agree with you.) :)
I think it's a great song!
The photo doesn't bother me as it is art, and it does have a message. That lifeless body has been replicated all through the world, there are hundreds of youngsters dying for what many see as a dubious cause at best - Harry was just used because he was well-known and was also meant to serve out in Iraq but for unreported reasons, and for the safety of his men, it was decided he would stay at home.
I believe the artist was doing what many artists have tried to do, some successfully and some not, which is to provoke a reaction and get people talking and thinking - it's worked, because we're here discussing it.
Though there are people who may not like it, I believe it holds a valid place and whilst it's not by far my favourite piece of art, it shows the sadness and the pain many people feel when they hear that a loved-one, a friend, a husband or son has been killed in action.
But that's just my opinion!
I agree. The sculpture doesn't send the message the artist says he was going for. The world makes me a little sad.
No matter what your views on this war are, that statue simply does not and should not be considered "art". I have not seen it, nor do I intend to...I'm a mother, therefore, I don't have any desire to see depictions of death. I'm well aware that the world is full of destruction - I don't need some artistic putz making a name off of it in a misguided attempt to make me "see the errors or war".
Poor Harry...being used as a political statement in the name of art. And you're right - how horrible, not just for him, but for his family, as well!!
2 other stupid things "in the name of art" are
1. a plain white canvas going for $2.8 million (seriously! NOBODY will pay $2.8 million for that when they can get the same thing for $30 from an artist's supplies store, ARE they!!)... but wait, there's more!
1.b a woman kissed the canvas "in the name of art" thus permanently smearing her lipstick into it!
1.c the gallery "tried everything but could not remove the lipstick" and so are suing the woman, in france, for $2.8 million.
1.d How ridiculous.
oh and
2. a "giant crack in the floor" installation in the Tate Modern gallery in south London
anyway howzit going with you these days? long time no hear... hope all's fine!
First I was horrified. Then I was confused. I asked..why?..Then I felt mortified...What if his mother where alive?..Would she like to see have seen that?..I would probably scratch the face of anyone ( and toink him over the head with a soup pot) who would have the gal to paint or make a sculpture my son dead..Oh' yeah'..I'd scratch it real scratchy doodle abstract then make him see himself it the mirror then I'd force him to call himself "art".
Hi Tea, I couldn't get the picture, but just the thought angers me....
OOOOPs, I spoke to soon, I see you had a sight to go to, and I did... now I wouldn't know that it was Harry laying their, except it said it was.....
I was horified and disgusted when I saw this on the news! I can't word my thoughts and feelings any better than Kari and Lady Luxie have, so I'll leave it at that.
This is the first I've heard of this, but I have to say, weird weird weird.
That to me, isn't art. It's gross.
You are right with everything you said here Tea.
YIkes, what is happening in our world?
xo
Gillian
The world is a messed up place!
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