Obama as Jesus Painting: One of Many to Compare President to Christ? (PHOTO)
A painting that depicts President Obama in a Christ-like pose has drawn ire from some, although it is not the first piece of art to merge the two figures.
A new painting has emerged on display at Boston's Bunker Hill Community College Art Gallery. Titled "The Truth," it is the work of artist Michael D'Antuono and depicts President Obama with a crown of thorns on his head, with his arms raised in a "v" shape. The painting itself however, is not new and was to be put on display in New York's Union Square years ago.
As part of the set up, the painting was going to be placed in a makeshift voting booth where people would be offered a personal experience and then later be asked to share their views, according to the artist's webpage. However, D'Antuono claimed to have received thousands of emails that condemned the painting as "blasphemy," prompting him to cancel the viewing.
Years later, the painting has finally made it on display and a number of people have expressed dissatisfaction. But D'Antuono is not the first to pair the image of Obama with the image of Christ. Numerous other graphics have attempted a similar task, some more straightforward than others.
The "Hope" Obama poster designed by artist Shepard Fairey, for example, has been remade to depict Jesus Christ in the same graphic. Other images show Obama with a ring of light around his head and quoting Bible verses; another goes as far as to dress Obama up as a saint with the title: "Obama Christ."
Some voters have taken the message to an extreme. One photograph reveals a group of people holding up a banner that reads: "Obama Christ-Barack Obama: Our Lord and Savior."
D'Antuono has stated that it was not his intent to compare Obama to Christ, but others are still offended and have stated that the painting is "disgusting." For more one the controversy, click here.
