Vavi: Painting the work of a sick mind

2012-05-18 12:48

Cape Town - Cosatu general secretary Zwelinzima Vavi on Friday condemned the artist of the controversial painting depicting President Jacob Zuma with his penis hanging out.

The painting, titled The Spear, is part of an exhibition at the Goodman Gallery in Johannesburg called Hail to the Thief II, by Cape Town artist Brett Murray.

Vavi wrote on Twitter: “That painting can only be a work of a very sick mind full of hatred reflective of the damage our apartheid past caused to our society.

“Imagine if your own father was presented in that degrading form. If its good why don't take pictures of their private parts & tweet them? [sic]”

Vavi said while we should celebrate the country’s “artistic creativity”, painting a head of state or any other person in that manner is “silly and very provocative”.

The ANC instructed its lawyers to approach the courts to force the gallery to remove the portrait, City Press to remove the photo from its website, and for the destruction of all printed promotional material.

But Brett Murray, the Goodman Gallery and City Press were already three of the top trending topics in South Africa on Twitter and the controversial painting had already been shared on the social networking site.

The ANC said the painting violated Zuma's right to dignity. It said his dignity as ANC president, as president of the country, and as a human being had been dented by "this so-called piece of art".

Meanwhile, the gallery said it would not remove the painting as this would amount to censorship.

- News24