Painting of Jolie draws notice

[didymus]

tinyurl.com/su8e4

** Painting of Jolie draws notice**

by MARTHA WAGGONER, Associated Press Writer Fri Jan 5, 6:57 PM ET

   RALEIGH, N.C. - A North Carolina artist intrigued by the public obsession with celebrity has found herself feeding that obsession with a painting of actress Angelina Jolie as the Virgin Mary hovering over a Wal-Mart check-out line.

Kate Kretz has painted for 20 years but none of her previous work has garnered the attention given “Blessed Art Thou,” showing this weekend at Art Miami, an annual exposition of modern and contemporary art.

. . . .

“My intention was to ask a question and get people to think,” Kretz said in a telephone interview Friday from Miami. “I had no idea so many people would be asking a question and thinking.”

[SIGH]
In other words a mediocre artist figured out a gig to make a media splash to grab some media attention. If not for the painting’s title no one would even guess that Jolie is supposed to be Mary.

I suppose it could be worse, she might have chosen Madonna instead of Angelina Jolie.

 

[Steadfast_love]

Hey look! It’s art!

 

[deb1]

I think that we are a nation that worships the famous, or in some cases, the infamous. Wasn’t there a study showing that young people would rather be famous then intelligent?

On one level this is all a bit silly. On another it is a sad commentary on our culture.

Even on the television news I hear items about celebrity antics. I wonder when the serious news became tabloid journalism.

By the way, I have nothing personal against Angelina Jolie.

 

[Dale_M]

[If not for the painting’s title no one would even guess that Jolie is supposed to be Mary.

Yes, its not a connection I would have made by looking at it.

deb1:

I wonder when the serious news became tabloid journalism.

I think its all about ratings. People would rather listen to titillating stories rather than depressing stories. The companies producing news are in a business to make money so they give people what they want.
[/quote]

 

[RascalJones]

At least it’s not done with elephant dung and pornographic clippings, they save that for actually painting pictures of Mary.

 

[StephanieC]

:yawn:

:yawn:





Snore.

(Not directed to your thread, Didymus; rather, to the boredom of watching desperate artist-wannabes casting about for attention. And $$.)

 

[JezuUfamTobie]

You know, usually I think that “sensational” or “controversial” art is a waste of time. But I find this painting to be an interesting social commentary at the least. To me it doesn’t seem like the artist is being disrespectful of Our Lady, but rather that she is pointing out that the Western obsession with celebrity is unreasonable.

 

[sea_oat]

You know, usually I think that “sensational” or “controversial” art is a waste of time. But I find this painting to be an interesting social commentary at the least. To me it doesn’t seem like the artist is being disrespectful of Our Lady, but rather that she is pointing out that the Western obsession with celebrity is unreasonable.

Ditto.

It’s definitely not a piece I would hang on my wall, but I see the artist’s point.

 

[rayne100]

I agree.
From the artists own words:
“On her blog, Kretz, 43, said the painting addresses “the celebrity worship cycle.” She said she chose Jolie for the subject “because of her unavoidable presence in the media, the worldwide anticipation of her child, her ‘unattainable’ beauty and the good that she is doing in the world through her example, which adds another layer to the already complicated questions surrounding her status.””

 

[child_of_God85]

I don’t think the artist should have made a painting like that, but I hope people don’t blame Angelina for it. She’s a good humanitarian who does a lot more for the needy than most ‘good christians’ will ever think of doing.

 

[maryalene]

It just seems like such an odd thing to be in Wal-Mart. Also, given our society’s general puritanism, it seems like having her children naked in the picture would cause problems for some.

 

[Julianna]

Angelina Jolie is no role model. If the artist is truly making commentary on the fact that our culture is “star struck”, then I agree. If anyone has the audacity to compare her to the BVM, they are way off base. Mary was pure and a virgin…and Angelina is very far from it.

 

[child_of_God85]

Angelina Jolie is no role model. If the artist is truly making commentary on the fact that our culture is “star struck”, then I agree. If anyone has the audacity to compare her to the BVM, they are way off base. Mary was pure and a virgin…and Angelina is very far from it.

I would never compare her the the Blessed Mother, I wouldn’t compare anyone to the Blessed Mother.
But I would say that Angelina is a very good person. I hope to be able to help people as she has been able to do. And I wouldn’t claim the right to judge her either. I don’t think thats something Jesus would tell people to do.