Archbishop Condemns Graffiti Art Published by Bangalore Mirror

Media Release

Bangalore, Aug 3: Fr Ronnie Prabhu, director, public relations office, Karnataka Region Catholic Bishops’ Council, on behalf of archbishop of Bangalore Dr Bernard Moras has issued a media release condemning a work of graffiti published by the tabloid Bangalore Mirror.

The release states:

"The Bangalore Mirror (BM) issue dated Aug 2, 2012 has hurt the sentiments of the Christian community by publishing the work of graffiti artist Banksy picturing ‘the Consumer Jesus’ on the Cross with shoes and bags. (The article also featured graffiti of a guard peeing, cops kissing, etc.)

Descending to such vulgar levels is not just insulting, but totally without rhyme or reason. BM has published the graffiti along with the photographic recreation done by photographer Nick Stern. If the purpose was to highlight the skill and art of the photographer in his recreations, then BM could have chosen from many other graffiti of Banksy and their recreations by Nick Stern and totally left out the picture of Jesus. THIS WAS HURTFUL TO THE CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY.

Banksy is an extremely controversial pseudonymous England-based graffiti artist, political activist, film director, and painter. His works painted on walls all over the world have dealt with an array of political and social themes including anti-consumerism. He may have been decrying consumerism by depicting designer shoes/bags as the new gods, but using Christ on the Cross to get the message across is unpalatable to Christians.
 
Knowing how sensitive religious sentiments are, BM should not have published this picture. Any other recreations of Banksy graffiti done by photographer Nick Stern could have been used. Choosing to put the picture of Christ on the Cross as a consumer smacks of a sinister motive on the part of BM. THE CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY IS TOTALLY UNHAPPY WITH THIS.

Please take note Bangalore Mirror and the Times of India: the Christian community takes serious exception to this degradation of Christ depicting Him among the cheap and the vulgar. We are living in India where people have strong religious feelings, and we do not see what pleasure it gives a newspaper to hurt these sentiments totally unprovoked."