Mandela Autopsy Painting
South Africa‘s ruling ANC Party is all upset over a new painting depicting Nelson Mandela dead on a slab and being cut open for an autopsy by several of the country’s political leaders.
The painting is a parody of the Rembrandt masterpiece The Anatomy Lesson of Dr Nicolaes Tulp, and shows the late AIDS activist Nkosi Johnson performing the autopsy. Watching the action are Archbishop Desmond Tutu, former presidents FW de Klerk and Thabo Mbeki, and politicians Helen Zille and Trevor Manuel.
“Nelson Mandela is a great man, but he’s just a man… The eventual passing of Mr Mandela is something that we will have to face, as individuals, as a nation,” artist Yiull Damaso told the BBC. He says he wants to make people confront death.
The ANC is not as progressive on this issue, and released a press statement claiming the painting disrespects Mandela’s dignity by “stripping him naked in the glare of curious onlookers, some of whom have seen their apartheid ideals die before them”.
The ANC has also condemned the Mail & Guardian for publishing a picture of the painting, calling it “gutter journalism and soul-less sensationalism.”
Management at the Hyde Park Mall, which is showing the artwork, says they have gotten complaints, including from some of Mandela’s relatives.
“We feel it is a controversial piece… but we support freedom of expression and art,” said Marketing Manager Nicola van Kan.
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What does the the honorable Mandela have to say about the painting, seemingly its only the public and those close to Mandela upset? Another thing is that if it could’ve been an odinary person, there would’ve been no media sensation, as South African we have to interpret and not kill the art. What if it was a poet?
Artists are mirrors to society, sometimes what we see in the mirror is not always what we like. Society becomes oblivious to all that is happening around them. It’s just so much easier as an artist to be self involved, rather than to comment on the collective reality.
More artist should start looking outside of themselves and challenge the perceptions of our so-called utopia!!!