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| Briton displays Bin Laden image to New Yorkers |
| 2004-05-24 |
| A picture of Osama Bin Laden made from photographs of people who died in the September 11 attacks has been displayed on the streets of New York by a British art student. Daphi Dotan, 27, from Plymouth College of Art and Design, stuck the 44 in by 66 in photo collage in New York’s Union Square for her final-year project and filmed the reactions of passers-by. She said the work, called Facing Terror, was inspired by the picture of the murderer Myra Hindley made from children’s handprints by the artist Marcus Harvey, but added that it was also a personal reaction to the September 11 tragedy. "I felt like I had a strong need to interpret the terrorist attacks," said Dotan, who grew up in Israel and moved to Britain seven years ago. "For me, concrete statues or memorial gardens don’t mean anything. I wanted to bring it home that people died in the attacks, and show how much damage they [the terrorists] caused to the people who lost friends and family. I chose Union Square because it was the place where people who lost loved ones gathered after 9/11." Passers-by caught on Dotan’s film seemed shocked that Bin Laden’s image was in the square, but their expressions visibly softened when they realised that it consisted of faces of the victims.The picture is made up of the images of 2,528 victims, which Dotan took a year to collect from memorial leaflets and internet sites. Bin Laden’s face was produced through the use of computer software. The image is currently in Plymouth for the university’s final year show, but Dotan hopes to take it back to New York and place it outside the United Nations building. |
| Posted by:Super Hose |
| #10 JIB: I know. The other side of left wackos and Islamoidz will probably love the OBL/victim piece. Sick bastards. But then, they see everything that way. Mike Moore would love it too, from that perspective. I think doing his portrait with the KIA's and the Hostess and Coca Cola products would be interesing, and very revealing about the sick hedonism that drives him. Again--he would probably love it. "Yuck, yuck! That's me all right!" The very fact that there is a factor of ambiguity in art lets us see into the souls of the observers. That's important, methinks. |
| Posted by: ex-lib 2004-05-25 12:48:43 AM |
| #9 Jack, Any portrait of Michael Moore shall be done in tiny images of Hostess and Coca Cola products. |
| Posted by: Super Hose 2004-05-24 10:03:13 PM |
| #8 At least it looks like art,can't say that for most of the other shit that's out there |
| Posted by: djohn66 2004-05-24 5:15:08 PM |
| #7 Ex-Lib, from an art critical perspective in explicating her work, you are probably as close as any of the opinions would be but my point was facetious in demonstrating the ambiguity that is always present in interpreting art. I think perhaps she should consider doing a potrait of Michael Moore using photographs of all the servicemen and servicewomen killed in Afghanistan and Iraq in the WoT. |
| Posted by: Jack is Back! 2004-05-24 4:22:52 PM |
| #6 I had a different take on this art piece. In many totalitarian regimes there is a cult of personality that includes huge whopping pictures of the "Dear Leader," "brave Iman," ad nauseum. In each case, the image of the leader, a metaphor for the regime, is constructed of the death of innocents. If she did an album, there would certainly be a picture of Yasser, as she was born in Israel. Sadaam, Pol Pot, Che and Stalin would certainly be included. |
| Posted by: Super Hose 2004-05-24 4:01:39 PM |
| #5 Thanks Dar. Jack is Back and mojo: Reread the article. IMO, I don't think Dotan would do a "180" and claim that the piece is an antiwar piece--it would be a real stretch, and it wouldn't make any sense. I think Dotan is trying to get people to face the situation, when they'd rather forget about it and pretend there is nothing to be concerned about. The real Osama bin Ladin isn't some "misunderstood arab who's upset about Palestinian issues." The piece would suggest that OBL is a killer. And it's time to face it. In the midst of the daily media diatribe: "BUSH LIED, PEOPLE DIED," Dotan's art exposes the true face of terror: Islamofascism. And it causes people to think. The faces of the victims remind everyone that this isn't about what the Dems want us to think it's about. It's about a war that 's going on and about an evil man and his cohorts who, essentially, wants to make themselves gods and world dictators. Even the name of the piece "FACING TERROR" shows what a monster OBL is, and what all Islamofascism is really like, because his ugly face, and the deadly imposition of his personal aims and so-called ideals wiped out all those (actually) important lives. When we see their faces and his together--a choice is made--whether consciously or subconsciously. It was a brilliant way to demonstrate the crux of the issue regarding the WOT: for the sake of those people and all other victims of Islamofascism, we must win. For the victims, perhaps it's hard to deal with. I can totally understand that. But it is the truth. OBL and his "army" did kill their loved ones. American PEOPLE died because of him. It's dangerous when that fact gets "abstracted"--which is what the left wants this election year. Dotan's work simply reintroduced the human cost of ignoring reality, regarding the WOT. " I wanted to bring it home that people died in the attacks, and show how much damage they [the terrorists] caused to the people who lost friends and family. . . . I chose Union Square because it was the place where people who lost loved ones gathered after 9/11." The picture is made up of the images of 2,528 victims, which Dotan took a year to collect from memorial leaflets and internet sites. Islamic Terrorism is the enemy--not this art student. Never forget. |
| Posted by: ex-lib 2004-05-24 2:57:51 PM |
| #4 Dar, I am with Mojo on this. Artists like to hide behind the double-entendre just in case someone takes exception they can say they got it wrong - they mean't it this way. Hey, wait a minute, maybe Kerry inspired her!! |
| Posted by: Jack is Back! 2004-05-24 12:22:40 PM |
| #3 mojo I have to disagree. Although I find this work ultimately tasteless, it makes clear that these people were killed at the hands of Bin Laden, thereby making the statement anti-idiotarian in nature. This reminds me of a photo collage we saw not too long ago where some asswipe took photos of soldiers killed in Iraq... and made it into a picture of GW Bush. (In fact, it might have been 9/11 victims instead of Iraqi casualties. I don't remember.) |
| Posted by: Chris W. 2004-05-24 11:58:10 AM |
| #2 Mojo--I think I can understand why she did this, and not necessarily to generate controversy. Imagine instead if she had done the same thing only created a portrait of Hitler from a photo montage of Holocaust victims. She's created a portrait of a monster using the events he created and the people he victimized, basically showing what the man is made of. The substance of the man is exposed. The building blocks of this man, his reputation, and his infamy are innocent victims of his evil, his hunger for power, and his ego. I can understand if people don't accept it because the events are still too recent and the memories still too painful, but I can understand why she created it as she did and what it symbolizes. She should do the same thing with Saddam. |
| Posted by: Dar 2004-05-24 11:22:37 AM |
| #1 Do his cards say "artist-asshole"? No? They should. |
| Posted by: mojo 2004-05-24 10:51:21 AM |