Proud to be A Merry Can (Thursday 21 July)
compiled by Mary Garboden
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T'anks to Mr. Bush by Stephen Pearcy - image held here
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To the chagrin of Bush supporters in California, a painting depicting an American flag in the shape of the continental United States being flushed down the toilet has recently been put on display at the Department of Justice in Sacramento. Entitled, T'anks to Mr. Bush, the relatively unimaginative, though politically loaded, piece has sparked controversy in the department. As Karen Hanretty, spokeswoman for the Republican party, aptly put it, the artwork is "blatantly offensive to people who think that America does not belong in the toilet." Duly noted, Karen.
The artist, Stephen Pearcy, is a member of California Lawyers for the Arts, a group of lawyers who create and support artistic endeavors and are currently holding an exhibition in the cafeteria at the Department of Justice. The show includes a number of pieces that express concerns about the present state of America. Pearcy's piece is the main focus for Bush-lovers, however, because it has been singled out by KTKZ talk radio host Eric Hogue (and if the American people can't trust talk radio hosts, who can they trust? Hanretty, for example, despite her insightful comments, has not actually seen the exhibit -- she heard about it on KTKZ) and also because the other pieces, such as a painting depicting the president riding out of the desert in a church bell tower mounted on top of a war tank, were probably a tad too cerebral for your average Conservative Californian (these are, after all, the people who elected the Terminator.)
So what's the fate of Pearcy's anti-jingoistic jacks? According to spokesman Nathan Barankin, Attorney General Bill Lockyer, who has an anticensorship poster displayed in his office (the crazy hippy!), has no intention of removing the piece.
source: http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/state/20050720-1612-ca-lockyer-painting.htm
