Our Big Brother shows up at another art exhibition.

[JohnnyRingo]

Though I think this artist may be "inviting" the SS as a way of getting media attention, the Secret Service is playing into his hand and likely wasting government resources and time.

Secret Service visits art show at Columbia

The agents turned up Thursday evening, just before the public opening of "Axis of Evil, the Secret History of Sin," and took pictures of some of the art pieces -- including "Patriot Act," showing President Bush on a mock 37-cent stamp with a revolver pointed at his head.

The agents asked what the artists meant by their work and wanted museum director CarolAnn Brown to turn over the names and phone numbers of all the artists. They wanted to hear from the exhibit's curator, Michael Hernandez deLuna, within 24 hours, she said.

<snip>
Hernandez said any government involvement could come close to trampling First Amendment rights.

"It frightens me ... as an artist and curator. Now we're being watched," Hernandez said. "It's a new world. It's a Big Brother world. I think it's frightening for any artist who wants to do edgy art."

Hernandez said he hopes the public sees the exhibit as a whole -- and not just about one man or even one country. Some works Hernandez thought would be more controversial challenge Pope John Paul II and the Catholic Church. Others look at Nazi Germany and the killing fields in Cambodia.

He refused to talk about the 2001 incident, when he was suspected of being involved in a fake anthrax stamp that shut down an area of Chicago's main post office. Hernandez and another Chicago artist routinely sent fake stamps through the mail, then sold them for thousands of dollars.

http://www.suntimes.com/output/news/cst-nws-axis12.html

[notadmblnd]

1. maybe the artist should have used a big dildo instead of a gun?

It could be one with those fake testicles and the model could have held it just like a gun. It would have sent the same message, after all isn't a gun just another phallus symbol?

[Hissyspit]

2. This reminds me...

of when the FBI was investigating the lyrics of The Kingsmen's "Louie Louie" to figure out if any of the words were 'obscene.'

If you can't figure out what the artwork is saying, why are you so worried about it? Everyone is looking at/hearing the same artwork you are, you putzes.

[signmike]

3. I hope I don't get in trouble for suggesting pointing a pretzel at him...

Uh oh.. I hear somebody knocking on my door . . . LOUD!

:scared: