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A Milwaukee-area artist is drawing international attention, some of it negative, for one of her creations: a portrait of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI constructed out of 17,000 colorful condoms.
The piece by Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design instructor Niki Johnson, a kind of latex embroidery, is a commentary on the artist's views on sex and Benedict's statements on condoms -- including the now famous 2009 quote while on a trip in Africa stating that condoms increase the spread of AIDS.
Johnson, who described herself as a "curious agnostic" and described the piece as "cheeky and irreverent, but not hateful," said she means no disrespect to the past pontiff, but instead hopes to spark conversation about about social issues, including sex and inclusion.
The conservative web site MediaBusters dismissed the piece as "disgusting."
But the Archdiocese of Milwaukee took a more measured tone. Spokesman Jerry Topczewski said in a statement:
“The Catholic Church has always been open to frank conversations about human sexuality, especially regarding the morality that comes with the choices people make in their individual lives and understanding that, along with those choices comes an inherent responsibility to live as God has created us, respecting the dignity of all human persons.”
Milwaukee "artist" creates Benedict XVI portrait out of condoms
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5 comments:
Ok, this might sound really awful, but I guess as a no contraceptive Catholic, I didn't realize that there were that many colors of condoms.
imagine the look on her face when he resigned! NO ONE expects the papal resignation!
The real question now is who funded this project?
Great point! The message was contracepted since she's going after the former pope.
Well since we know the government sponsors all kinds a free condom programs, it might be us that funded it.
LOL, me neither.
It's actually a suprisingly good likeness...
On the bright side, the project did take 17,000 condoms off the market.
This might be a little weird, but it reminds me of World Youth Day down in Sydney, Australia. All of us pilgrims were walking to the racetrack outside of town to attend the closing ceremonies and Mass with Pope Benedict. There were several hundred thousand of us and it was a long walk to get to the racetrack. At one point in the walk, we had to pass this little park. At the park, about 100 or so protesters came out to yell at the pilgrims. It was funny - they were holding signs accusing the Church of being close-minded, bigoted, and intolerant; yet, they were the ones yelling at us, holding objectionable signs and inflatables. Anyway, they were also throwing hundreds of condoms at us as we passed. Thus, in a way I feel like the above art is some-sort of divine retribution. "You like to throw condoms at pilgrims going to see Pope Benedict, huh?" "Well, take this, now your condoms are a giant Holy Card of the Pope. Boo-yah!"
I know that isn't the artist's intention, but a dude can daydream...
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