Jesus / Osama: Priscilla Bracks's artists' statement

I don't get anything out of this kind of art, but I hate how unfair the media has been on Priscilla Bracks, the artist behind Bearded Orientals: Making the Empire Cross. It's kind of amazing that anyone could still be shocked by this kind of art, and maybe Priscilla is shocked too - the artist's statement accompanying the piece makes it pretty clear she wasn't intending to piss anyone off.

Excerpt:

There is a very real possibility that by giving such significant media attention to those who commit crimes and advocate violence, we may inadvertently elevate of them to a status where in some circles, they are perceived as sacred and holy – revered in the same way we revere Jesus.

This work has quite an open text so people are likely to read the image in many different ways. Some have mentioned they see it as a juxtaposition of good and evil, whilst others are interested in its comment on how iconic figures are created.

To me this work is a cautionary tale about our fixation with crime, violence and catastrophe. Access to information is important and there are instances where this has been well balanced with the temptation to sensationalise.

Seems pretty straightforward to me, but coverage like this from the ABC selectively quotes Priscilla to make her sound doughy without conveying what she really meant.

Bearded Orientals seems like typical conceptual art: An artwork too dull to be anything without an artist's statement, an artist's statement too banal to be anything without an artwork to accompany it. But the deep crappiness of conceptual art is another issue altogether - one that doesn't belong in the news pages anyway - and there's no reason to single out Priscilla Bracks for attack.

Nothing to see here folks; leave her alone.

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I can't resist linking to Andrew Bolt's considered analysis - in which he takes Bracks's statement as evidence that she "doesn't dare defend what she clearly means". And, yes, he mentions black skivvys and canapes. Link.