POLYTHEISMOPOLYTHEISMO

An Analysis of Mideo Cruz’ An Analysis of Mideo Cruz’ Controversial PaintingControversial Painting

BY BY

PROF RONNIE ESPERGAL PASIGUIPROF RONNIE ESPERGAL PASIGUI

BackgroundBackground

Art Exhibit entitled “KULO” held at CCP Exhibit for the 400 years of UST

• Not sponsored by UST

• Exhibit by Alumni of UST

• Mideo Cruz – alumni of UST?

PolytheismoPolytheismo

BackgroundBackground

Mideo’s art is entitled “POLYTHEISMO” Exhibited here and abroad – including

Loyola House of Studies in Ateneo most of the statues, images, posters of

Jesus Christ, the Blessed Virgin Mary and other saints were doodled with paints, deformed, defaced, and desecrated.

BackgroundBackground

Several religious statues were also violated with several acts of sacrilege and desecration like the old statue of Christ the King attached with ears and nose of rabbits made of aluminum can, the image of the famous Jesus Eyes with a penis shaped ashtray plastered on it and covering its face and crucifixes with movable penises.

Mideo alone?Mideo alone?

Jam Montoya – Spanish artist, turned the Holy Cards into pornographic trading cards

Cosimo Cavallaro, an Italian-Canadian artist who made the life size Chocolate Jesus, nude and has anatomically correct part protruding between the legs of the chocolate statue way back in 2007.

Mideo alone?Mideo alone?

Alfred Hrdlicka, the Austrian artist who drew a homosexual version of the last supper in 2008 in a very lewd depiction of the passion, wherein Jesus and his disciples are engaged in an orgy.

Gay Version of the Last SupperGay Version of the Last Supper

Mideo alone?Mideo alone?

Giussepe Veneziano, the Italian painter who painted the Virgin Mary carrying in her arms a baby Adolf Hitler.

Virgin Mary with Adolf Hiltler by Virgin Mary with Adolf Hiltler by Giussepe Veneziano,Giussepe Veneziano,

Artistic Freedom? Artistic Freedom?

Section 14. The State shall foster the preservation, enrichment, and dynamic evolution of a Filipino national culture based on the principle of unity in diversity in a climate of free artistic and intellectual expression. (Art XIV, Sect 14)

Artistic Freedom? Artistic Freedom?

• The "Kulo" exhibit is a reality check on artistic limits and underscores the need for continuing art education among Filipinos.

• "This is a lesson to us, a reflection in terms of the artist, how far they an stretch this notion of freedom and creative expression and question themselves in terms of what responsibility they have in terms of handling certain images,”.

In Defense of Artistic Freedom? In Defense of Artistic Freedom?

• "Its difficult for visual artists to defend their work. They speak thru color and lines,”

• “it shows that the power of art has the power to create discussion and controversy…Just like the truth, art can sometimes hurt,” (David Celdran)

In Defense of Artistic Freedom? In Defense of Artistic Freedom?

• “If you just look at artwork and see what offends you, ambabaw mo.”(Celdran)

• Pero para naman sa Concerned Artists of the Philippines, kulang lang daw ang mga Pilipino sa edukasyon pagdating sa sining.

Against Mideo? Against Mideo?

• The UST Rector/The Bishops/Catholics

• Lito Zuleta - he simply branded cruz’ work as a shock for shock’s sake

• Ted Laguatan opined that Mideo Cruz resorted to gimmickry just to provoke and catch people’s attention

Against Mideo? Against Mideo?

• Bastos at hindi sining ang naka-exhibit na obra ng kontrobersyal na artist na si Mideo Cruz sa Cultural Center of the Philippines. Ito ay ayon kay Rep. Imelda Marcos

• His art actually show the person the he is, within and without: dark, perverse, twisted, crass, chaotic, senseless and obsessed with the male phallus. If this is a normal behavior then everyone else is crazy.  God too, must be crazy.

Mideo Cruz Mideo Cruz

• Mideo Cruz said in an interview that his art mirrors the ugliness of the reaction of the people towards his art.

AS STUDENTS OF AS STUDENTS OF HUMANITIES!!!!!HUMANITIES!!!!!

• Be an intelligent Art Critic: Make your critic based on the following:

• Art criticism (Descriptive, Interpretive, Evaluative)

• The Factors that affect an artwork (History, Style, Purpose, Iconography)

Note:Note:

• Keep you eyes and your mind open as we swim through the arts of the humanities.

THANK YOU!