Last year the Smithsonian censored a show being shown at the Nation Portrait Gallery at the urging of Bill Donahue. The piece, David Wojnarowicz’s “A Fire in My Belly,” showed video of ants crawling across a crucifix. I made this sculpture for the one-year anniversary, and for Donahue who continues to describe the video as “hate speech.”
Symbols should not get special protection; in fact, they should be enveloped by cephalopods.
Untitled (Octopus & Crucifix), 2011, Pewter, brass and walnut.
I’m auctioning this piece on eBay through their Giving Works program. 100% of all proceeds go to the American Humanist Association!
Have questions? Read the Fictitious FAQ
EDIT: My views and opinions in no way reflect the views or opinions of the American Humanist Association. This art, and any comments expressed here are solely the responsibility of the artist or the author.
UPDATE!
This piece has sold! Thanks everyone for your interest, you raised $220 for the American Humanist Association.
Unapologetic Maker 
It’s disrespectful and hateful, definitely. It’s completely not surprising in the times we are living within.
It’s certainly disrespectful (and yay!) but how is it hateful? Who does it hate?
“It’s completely not surprising in the times we are living within.”
Translation: you’re no longer allowed to burn us at the stake, and not entirely happy about it.
you think this is disrespectful? go listen to Deicide, or something. I think it was actually quite generous, me personally, I could’ve made it waay more offensive 🙂
Yup it is, definately disrespectful, but as Hebrews 12 says, we should be able to endure disrespect becuase Jesus dealt with a whole heck of a lot more.
This shouldn’t be a problem.
What is really a problem is that we assume it was banned for being disrespectful. I would imagine, as is often the case, that it was banned for being a cross.
In fact even Hot Cross Buns have been labeled offensive
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1424736/Hot-cross-banned-councils-decree-buns-could-be-offensive-to-non-Christians.html
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1551391/School-ban-for-crosses-but-not-Muslim-lockets.html
I have a hard time believing that the Smithsonian has a problem with offending Christians. Well I believe it, but I am dumbfounded.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/12/08/controversial-artwork-ban_n_794021.html
So…the Smithsonian *doesn’t* disrespect Christianity as much as you’d like it to so you went all the way to England for a trivial example of how disrespected it is. And still whined about the Smithsonian.
Yes, I realize self-pity’s a big thing with Christians, but good grief.
Great piece!
Those who cry, “Disrespectful!”: Art provokes as well as inspires. Instead of saying “No,” and turning off, talk about it, think about it. Let it engage your mind. Would you be offended if you saw a cephalopod draped over another religion’s symbol? Why or why not? Think. It’s fun.
I gave no comment as to the degree of the smithsonian’s disrespect towards Christianity. In fact I think they have a disrespect and disregard towards anything that might offend someone. They are politically correct to a fault.
For you to assume that this is some religious conspiracy of Mid Evil proportions is absurd.
Your right, the example I gave was trivial, that was the point. Political correctness is a curse to both Christians and non-religious folks.
In what way did I whine, as compared to the whining of this article?
[…] And if you still need to buy a gift for PZ, you can bid on this awesomely blasphemous piece of art by Joshua Bennett: […]
Thank you so much! It’s great to see someone bravely standing up for artistic expression and free speech. And doing so in a way that provides appropriate critique is all the more valuable. Whoever is wins the bidding will be doubly benefitted.
Roy Speckhardt
Executive Director
American Humanist Association
Anyone else happy that Cthulhu died for our sins and lack of sanity? I am!
How exactly is this disrespectful? This artist is free to express himself however he sees fit. His purpose is to create and express his ideas in a visual format without censoring himself to please Christians because they feel they have ownership of a particular symbol.
Yeah, it’s disrespectful to Octipi. For sure, they are magnificent creatures–more evolved than humans. They are not misguided by silly religious rituals and beliefs.
I agree, symbols should be so engulfed. I want to see kittens scratching the bejeezus out a flag, too.
Does this mean that Mary was the original OctoMom?
I quote my post to my friends *Jaw drops, eyes widen in delight and eyes fill with tears of joy*.
This, is beautiful.
Aw, thank you.
Was this not meant to be disrespectful? I would think the degree of disrespect was what was intended by the artist so as to spark discussion. Am I wrong?
I, as a Christian, don’t think this kind of thing should be censured by the government or by galleries, nor do I think I should be censored for saying that it is disgusting. What if I wanted to create a peice of artwork that showed Darwin sacrificing himself to Baal (sorry that was a completely random analogy, I have only a moment to think). I would do it to spark conversation (I am not an artist, and if this work were ever to be done it would probably best be done out of playdough, as that is the only medium I am proficient in). I would hope that it would offend, enough for you to disagree, and thus spark conversation.
Political correctness has stricked everyone, not just Atheists.
It’s so cute how you assume that Charles Darwin is some kind of prophet or savior figure for atheists. It’s like you completely don’t know us at all. By all means do that. Add corpses for Lucretius and David Hume, too, if it pleases you. Put Dawkins and Hitchens in, giving Baal a blowjob, if that floats your boat.
On the other hand, we know quite well how art that is considered blasphemous gets treated. Andres Serrano’s Piss Christ generated attempts to prohibit it from being shown, death threats for the artist and galleries showing it, was repeatedly vandalized, and eventually destroyed by religiously-motivated vigilantes. Or perhaps I could mention the blasphemy law that was put into place in Ireland in 2009 (sure, many western countries have blasphemy laws, but most are considered relics and haven’t been used in decades, if at all). Do I even need to mention Salman Rushdie and the fact that many high ranking officials of Christian organizations were eager to blame him for having a contract put on his head for writing his blasphemous works?
So, yes, it’s all just political correctness.