Exploding Christ's Pissing Dog Saves Lives!

It is much to cold too blow things up.  So, I read a lot.

I just finished two reviews of controversial art.  The first one on a photo called "Piss Christ". It is a 1987 photo by Andres Serrano of a crucifix submerged in his own urine.  I think it is a cool photo in a warm yellow orange sort of way.  The photo won a number of awards, and was paid for by a National Endowment of the Arts.  It was hated my many. Some argued the endowment violated the separation of church and state. Galleries that showed the photograph received death threats.  Others argued for artistic freedom and freedom of speech.  In another article, Serrano said that he thought it looked cool.

The other work is "Exposicion No. 1". In 2007, Guillermo Vargas tied a starving dog to a wall in the Codice Gallery in Nicaragua. On the wall behind the dog were the words "You Are What You Read," spelled out with dog food. It was reported the dog died after the exhibition as a result of starvation. The artist argued that no one who saw the piece intervened by feeding the dog.  

Millions of people were outraged by it.

In reading more articles about it.  No one one was sure the dog died.  Others said it was world class manipulation by the artist and that was the point.  He was trying to raise the point that more people care about a starving dog in a gallery than millions of suffering animals and humans.  Hence the words "You Are What You Read". His dig on the media controlling shallow minds.

Is it the media?  Can we think past it?

Is it the controversy?  Are we strong enough to rise above?

So I am starting work on a new piece, "Exploding Christ's Pissing Dog".

See, I love dogs. I have exploded a number of dog images in a warm (fiery) way.

And, The Original Stick looks a bit like a cross or a crucifix.   I am not a fan of organized religion - it has caused too much suffering. But the new Pope is on the right track on income inequality and helping the poor.

I'll bet he likes dogs.  

A dog and a cross. Perhaps I'm already halfway there.

Exploding Christ's Pissing Dog!

The controversy will be good.  

More people will see my work.

I will use more gunpowder and there will be less for killing people.

Saving lives.

Boom!

Stick Vega is the American Gunpowder Artist.  He creates and blogs from The Blast Factory in Madison, WI and Bucktown, Chicago, IL.  Follow Stick at Facebook and/or Twitter.   

Piss Christ, 1987 photograph by Andres Serrano

Exposicion No. 1, 2007, by Guillermo Vargs

The Original Stick, 2013, photowork of gunpowder on hard board by Stick Vega