I know - I'm a day late.
It's taken some wrestling for me. I utterly support the freedom of people to draw and say what they like about other people's ideas - and we need to be strong on this - really strong!- in the face of threatened violence.
I can't add a lot in terms of my words here. I completely agree with Dale McGowan on this. But I also share a lot of the trepidation that Melliferax has. After all, I live in one of the most multi-cultural cities in the world. It's also one of the most peaceful and has low crime between cultures. I don't tend to paint things specifically to offend. Though sometimes they do anyway.
So this one is not to specifically offend.
Is it a painting? I've done this piece using digital media only. It is a depiction. Under those layers, and then erased are an image -now largely removed- of the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him if you are so inclined.
And peace be upon the artists depicting him. Let no violence come from those who object to imagery. All that does is make it more powerful anyway.
Edit: **** In light of death threats against the originator, I took the non-image I had made down. If we don't have freedom of speech and freedom of expression, we have nothing.
So here is a post of nothing.
- - - - - - - -
Original artwork on The Flying Trilobite Copyright to Glendon Mellow
under Creative Commons Licence.
Flying Trilobite Gallery *** Flying Trilobite Reproduction Shop ***
6 comments:
I to play in that world. A great friend told me that it it a wonderful thing to live in a country that we can express our opinions, whatever they may be.
Some how I missed all of the hoopla. Most have been off in the outskirts of the internet. I'll have to draw something. That's scary to think what they may try to do. If it was just me I was worrying about, then no big deal, that's what the 40 caliber and the hollow points are for, but when it comes to my family as well, that's all together different. If enough people do it and it becomes common place, they can't kill everyone. Hmmm, they actually wouldn't mind trying would they...
Thanks for the support, guys.
Eric, here in Toronto, our population is pretty moderate. Muslims, Christians, Hindu, secularists - all just people making a living. Generally I'm not concerned about violence here. (I'm saying we should be careful of an "us vs them" mentality, at least where I live.) I am worried about the erosion of free speech, and being forced to live by any special interest groups rules.
I debated a lot about doing this post. I prefer my art to be in defense of science. But defense of free expression matters too.
That said, I may still remove the post. I've made the point, I'm not sure how I feel about keeping it up in perpetuity.
Okay, I did mine. I feel pretty safe here, as typically areas around military bases are more mixed socially than other places, kind of like college campuses, but there was also a shooting here at Ft. Hood not to long ago from a crazed muslim, so it's not impossible that we could see it here. I may remove mine after awhile to.
Here's the link that I didn't post in my last comment http://boonxeven.blogspot.com/2010/05/everyone-draw-mohammed.html
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Posts over 14 days old have their comments held in moderation - I've been getting an unusual amount of spam for a guy who paints trilobites. I'll release it lickety-split though.