The painter who created the controversial "Obama as Christ" painting is back. Artist Michael D'Antuono, who apologized for offending people and withdrew his original painting, titled "The Truth," from a scheduled NYC showing on President Obama's 100th day in office, has just unveiled a new Obama painting (larger version below the fold). However, D'Antuono was a bit disingenuous in the explanation of his surprise that people were offended by his first Obama painting as you can see in this press release:
Artist Michael D'Antuono Responds To 'Truth' Critics With Second Obama Painting
NEW YORK, May 18 /PRNewswire/ -- Michael D'Antuono, the artist who gained notoriety as the creator of "The Truth", the highly controversial painting depicting President Obama in a crucifixion-like pose, has created a new work in an effort to remake his original political statement without the use of religious symbolism.
The new work, appropriately titled "...what I meant was..." is a response to the thousands of people who decried his work as blasphemy. "Unfortunately, too many people were unable to see beyond the religious symbolism of the first painting to be able to appreciate the political statement I was trying to make," says D'Antuono.
Oh please, Michael. You produce a painting depicting Obama with outstretched arms and wearing a crown of thorns and didn't expect much of a reaction from that? A little hard to ponder political meanings when that religious imagery was overwhelming the viewer. But back to his press release plugging his new Obama painting:
The new painting, to be released on May 18, 2009, portrays President Obama at a press conference. The reporters are wearing 3-D movie glasses with the color of their lenses representing their respective political views. The message the artist is sending with his new piece is clear. He is deeply troubled by the current condition of the fourth estate.
"The media views events through their partisan lenses and then spins the news for the purpose of advancing their own political agenda. The end result is a country that is passionately divided," says D'Antuono. With his latest painting, he is challenging the media to be less partisan in its reporting and the viewer to be more discerning between fact and opinion.
D'Antuono's painting "The Truth" gained international attention on television, radio and especially the internet. It became the most emailed photo on Yahoo! and wound up on Wikipedia until an offended party had it removed. The artist feels that his point was proven by the diverse reaction to the piece and by the divisive nature in which both the right and left wing media covered "The Truth" in an effort to provoke and mobilize their respective audiences.
What do you think?
What do I think? I think you completely missed the press bias point in your painting. First of all, you portray the red and blue lense folks at an Obama press conference in about equal porportions. In reality there would be maybe one or at the most two members of the press wearing red lenses and the rest of the room would be decked out in blue lenses. Also the folks wearing blue lenses would be not just outright leftwingers like Helen Thomas, Keith Olbermann, or Rachel Maddow as your painting depicts. It would be much more accurate if folks laughingly attempting to pass themselves off as neutral, such as Matt Lauer, Brian Williams, or Katie Couric were in that press room wearing blue lenses.
Therefore I am issuing a challenge to anyone (including even Mr. D'Antuono) to produce a more accurate painting depicting press bias that I have suggested with "neutral" journalists wearing blue lenses and with the correct ratio of blue vs red lenses that is allowed into an Obama press conference.
If someone can produce such a painting in the Michael D'Antuono style, I will even feature it in this blog posting as an update. Just post on it the web and provide me with the link for analysis and judgement.
p.s. Is that El Rushbo scratching his head?
—P.J. Gladnick is a freelance writer and creator of the DUmmie FUnnies blog.
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Actually, I think it's
May 19, 2009 - 18:30 ET by motherbeltActually, I think it's amazing that any of the press people are wearing blue lenses!
I'm surprised he didn't come up with a "neutral" color for those on that side....because they are unbiased, aren't they? Only the red folks are biased, from what we're told, the rest play it "right down the middle," or so we're told....
I didn't think it was physically possible, but this both sucks and blows. -Bart Simpson
Let's try to be fair here
May 20, 2009 - 08:31 ET by ArcherBI'm no artist and I don't intend to speak for the artist, but give the guy some credit. He released this photo as a protest against media bias. Isn't that the entire theme of this site? That's what NewsBusters is all about right? This guy is agreeing with the premise NewsBusters is trying to push and he's getting hammered for it. Lay off and accept the message that agrees with you.
Granted, the media climate is not 50-50 as the portrait shows, but do you think this would have recieved any play if everyone but Hannity and Rush were wearing blue glasses? Of course not! The media would have called this artist even more controversial and dubbed him a DINO or Astroturfer or some other label that would protray him as a right-winger. This guy would be considered a one-hit-wonder, no one would have ever seen this painting and his art career would be over! Oh, and don't forget the whole brownshirt attack this artist would have been subjected to like Joe the Plumber or Ms. California.
"To send men to the firing squad, judicial proof is unnecessary."
--Ernesto "Che" Guevara
I see an Olby in that
May 19, 2009 - 18:42 ET by taterI see an Olby in that painting but I shudder to think where Matthews is.
www.theholyrosary.org
"There is no problem, I tell you, no matter how difficult it is, that we can not resolve by the prayer of the Holy Rosary." -Sister Lucia
It looks to me as though the
May 19, 2009 - 18:50 ET by racIt looks to me as though the red spectacled fellows are the ones asking the questions and THINKING about bHo's answers and the ones in blues are all smiles and lapping up what ever the One tells them. So this picture is an accurate portrayal of the media.
Wrong Proportions
May 19, 2009 - 18:56 ET by P.J. GladnickThe proportions are completely wrong. In a REAL Obama press conference the ratio is heavily weighted toward the blue lensed ones.
...
May 19, 2009 - 18:59 ET by danebramageAlso, the red glasses are on people like Sean Hannity and Rush Limbaugh, who are not reporters. They're juxtaposed with Gwen Ifill and Helen Thomas, who are--or are supposed to be.
Who are the blues?
May 19, 2009 - 19:08 ET by slickwillie2001Is that Hannity over the Bamster's right shoulder?
The painting is all
May 19, 2009 - 19:13 ET by JerryThe painting is all wrong. First of all, the teleprompters are missing. Secondly, Obama should not be in the center, he should be so far to the left that he is barely in the picture. And the "blue" glasses section should be bowing and worshiping. And if this is a "transparent" Obama press conference, then the "red" glasses section should be empty.
When asked if he went to war with Iraq to derail the impeachment vote: “I don’t think any serious person would believe that any President would do such a thing." - President Clinton (Dec 1998).
Obama is center
May 20, 2009 - 08:23 ET by ArcherBWell, to be fair to the artist, as far left as Obama is, the press is still much farther. I would go so far as to say that when compared to the press as a whole, Obama is pretty center.
"To send men to the firing squad, judicial proof is unnecessary."
--Ernesto "Che" Guevara
Yep. The "artist" clearly
May 19, 2009 - 21:37 ET by HockeyKidYep. The "artist" clearly doesn't understand the difference between alleged journalists and talk-radio hosts. Typical leftie, no matter how much he protests otherwise.
The painting should depict the actual White House Press Corps with appropriate colored lenses in place. Perhaps that too much "Truth" for the painter to handle.
"Beauty is only skin deep, but liberal's to the bone." - me
The MSM is like the
May 19, 2009 - 22:11 ET by EdhenryThe MSM is like the American car companies in the 70s. They keep producing junk and then market it as good stuff.
Meanwhile the public votes with their eyes and wallets.
Thinkers vs. Followers
May 20, 2009 - 02:15 ET by NortoYes, Hannity, Rush, Laura, Greta, and probably others whose faces I do not recognize are "on the right," and all the "reporters" are on the left.
I recognize Glenn Beck
May 20, 2009 - 09:38 ET by capeindieI recognize Glenn Beck (first on the left back row) Greta, Hannity, and Rush, don't know who the others may be... and nope didn't see Matthews anywhere unless of course he's under Olbies chair..check out the rapturous smiles on their faces and the not so subtle dig at Rush (scratching his head in confusion I think is what is meant to be portrayed) http://www.dantuonoarts.com/
I sent MD"A an email
May 20, 2009 - 02:28 ET by Nortoglad I did. I was not aware the NYC showing was cancelled, Praise God.
O-zilla Eats America
May 20, 2009 - 05:32 ET by DontFeedTheTrollsDunno, maybe this painting really depicts a 1950's type feeling like we're all living in a monster movie in 3-D with Obama as the monster.
D
Keep the ILLEGALS out, join NumbersUSA to send free faxes to your reps.
Agree, DFTT. Looks like a
May 20, 2009 - 08:48 ET by QueenMumAgree, DFTT. Looks like a comic book image to me.
GO CAVS!!!!!
The O-Men (and Women and....fill-in-the-blank)
May 20, 2009 - 09:32 ET by Pilgrim1949Yup, it's a horror-monster film alright, with The One as the Fearless Leader of a fearless (and mindless) band of O-Men (and whatever...) who have mutated into braindead zombie lemmings merrily following their leader off of the cliff...
....and unfortunately trying to take as many of us as possible with them, sucked along into the vaccum wake of their headlong death-wish rush towards the jagged rocks at the bottom of the PC cliff.
Rose-colored
May 20, 2009 - 10:08 ET by slickwillie2001All the glasses should be rose-colored because they are all liberals.
BTW, this is confirmation that the original Bamster on a cross painting was not a joke. When first publicized, it was hard to believe the 'artist' was serious. I even suspected he might be a conservative and painted the picture to ridicule the Bamster sycophancy. No such luck. It's tough to satirize because the satire might not be recognized.
The title of the painting is priceless
May 20, 2009 - 13:11 ET by silent conservative"...what I meant was..." should be Biden's catch phrase
the silent are speaking, and they say
Cheney/Gingrich 2012( let's scare some liberals)