POLYTHEISMO An Analysis of Mideo Cruz’ Controversial Painting BY PROF RONNIE ESPERGAL PASIGUI

Background  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?

Polytheismo

Background  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.

Background  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?  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 Cosimo Cavallaro, an Italian-Canadian artist who made the life size Chocolate Jesus

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. Alfred Hrdlicka, the Austrian artist who drew a homosexual version of the last supper in 2008

Gay Version of the Last Supper

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

Virgin Mary with Adolf Hiltler by Giussepe Veneziano,

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? 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? "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? “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? 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? 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 said in an interview that his art mirrors the ugliness of the reaction of the people towards his art.

AS STUDENTS OF 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: Keep you eyes and your mind open as we swim through the arts of the humanities. THANK YOU!