Spear painting was vulgar, says Zuma
2012-12-14 12:42
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Johannesburg - President Jacob Zuma has described Brett
Murray's controversial painting The Spear, in which he was depicted as Lenin
with his genitals exposed, as "rather vulgar".
Zuma was speaking to The Guardian in a wide-ranging
interview about the state of South Africa.
He observed that South Africans had differing opinions about
the painting, which led to supporters marching to the Goodman Gallery in
Johannesburg in May in protest against the artwork. Two protesters later
defaced the painting.
"There will be individuals who think differently. I don't
think in a country you can have people thinking and feeling exactly the same. I
think it is [that] people have got their own ideas, they want to express them.
I might have a view about it, but some people might have a different view about
it.
"I thought it was rather vulgar," Zuma said.
"Particularly if you portray a particular person [that way], but of course
I think the population did express itself at that time, which will tell you it
is not everybody who approved of it. I think in fact the majority did not
approve of it… Some white people, for example, thought that was not helpful to
deal with the race issue in the country."
The painting led to a national debate on art, censorship and
race. It was widely condemned, including by Cabinet, which said it was an
insult to Zuma's dignity, office and culture.
The Film and Publication Board imposed a 16N rating on the
painting, which it later removed.
