Friday 13 September 2013

Little Prick Of Pride

President Zuma of South Africa is not known for his easy nature, and his behaviour towards women (with his multiple wives, and the publicity fallout from the 'rape case'), has led to criticisms of him that an African 'Big Man' leader wouldn't normally put up with.

Painting Of President Zuma Worth More Defaced
Worth More Defaced .....

But South Africa being a putative democracy, he has to take it on the pecker so to speak. So when a painting by Brett Murray called 'The Spear', and showing him with his genitals hanging out ... 
 
.... thus alluding to both to his alleged misogyny, and the African National Congress Party ('Umkhonto we Sizwe', was the armed wing of the ANC - abbreviated as MK, and translated as "Spear of the Nation"), was hung up  at the Goodman Gallery in Rosebank in May last year, he had to tolerate it .. although through gritted teeth.

ANC activists called it "rude, crude and disrespectful," and went to court for an order to remove it from display, but failed. However two men later defaced the genitals and the face, and were both convicted last week, with one fined and the other receiving a suspended prison sentence. 
 
But in another strange twist, the original picture was valued at about 100,000 Rand (£6,618), but the defaced version at a higher amount ..... its hard to work out whose pride has been hurt more by the events, the president or the painter. 
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2 comments:

  1. Vroomfondel15 September 2013 at 16:25

    Little prick of pride? I think the artist was rather generous.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. No PC17 September 2013 at 22:06

      Hey its Africa, and anyway he puts it about, so maybe its allegorical?

      Delete

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