O/T Take that dung-daubed Virgin Mary
PUSSSYKATT
ROBINSON and WILLIAM NEUMAN
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An angry 72-year-old man spread white paint over the controversial, dung-daubed
Virgin Mary painting in the Brooklyn Museum's Sensation show yesterday -- while
guards merely stood by, witnesses said.
"Blasphemy!" said Dennis Heiner when asked moments later why he defaced the
artwork -- as cops hauled him away in handcuffs.
Museum officials said conservators were able to clean up the painting within an
hour. They said there was no lasting damage, and the painting will be on view
again today.
The painting, by British artist Chris Ofili, has been at the center of a storm
of controversy ever since Mayor Giuliani blasted the artwork as an insult to
Catholics and moved to yank $7.2 million in yearly city funding from the
museum.
The canvas, titled "The Holy Virgin Mary," is adorned with lumps of elephant
dung -- a material that Ofili says he uses in many of his paintings to evoke
his African heritage.
The painting, which went on display in October, has been slammed by religious
groups and defended as an example of free expression. It has led to a bitter
First Amendment court fight between City Hall and the museum over public
funding of the arts.
Cops said the vandalism was recorded on videotape -- and that Heiner, whose
wife described him as devout Catholic, said the painting offended his religious
beliefs.
The retired school teacher was charged with a felony count of criminal
mischief, police said. Officials said the paint he used to deface the artwork
was apparently latex.
The afternoon act of vandalism shocked museum-goers.
"It's sicker that someone would do that than that someone would paint that,"
said Brooklynite Thom Garlick, 23.
"It's just disgusting."
Photographer Philip Jones Griffiths said he happened to be at the show with his
17-year-old daughter, Fenella -- and a point-and-shoot camera in his pocket.
"I heard someone raise their voice and rushed over and the guy was smearing
white paint over the painting with his hand, so I took some pictures,"
Griffiths said.
"The guards were doing very little. They didn't try to stop him.
"They essentially told him he couldn't do what he was doing. I would have
expected them to have jumped over and grabbed him.
"But he ran out of paint and very calmly walked away from the painting."
The painting is protected by a large piece of Plexiglas that hangs from the
ceiling more than a foot in front of the canvas.
Witnesses told The Post the gray-haired man in a tie and tweed jacket got past
guards by feigning illness -- and pretending he needed to lean against a wall.
He then stepped between the Plexiglas and the painting.
He took out a tube of white paint and with both hands started smearing it over
the painting from the center outward, witnesses said.
"He told the guards he was dizzy, and they let him move closer," said
California tourist John Wrenfeather.
"I watched him for about a minute. He just kept wiping it on. He certainly had
a self-satisfied smile on."
Witnesses said a pair of museum guards started yelling "code blue" when they
saw what Heiner was up to -- but did nothing to stop him.
"By the time the police came, he was done," said Tony Kramer, a children's book
illustrator from Florida.
"He was caught white-handed. He was shaking, he was very upset."
Museum spokeswoman Sally Williams -- who said guards aren't allowed to touch
visitors unless they are touched first -- added that the policy should not have
stopped staffers from intervening.
But she said, the guards acted correctly.
"It happened very, very quickly," Williams said.
Ofili's American agent, Gavin Brown, said the painter was upset.
"He's sad that someone would feel that way about his work, but he's happy that
the painting is fine," Brown said.
Mayor Giuliani, the show's most vocal opponent, refused to comment on the
vandalism.
* * *
NY POST....By LINDA MASSARELLA and WILLIAM NEUMAN
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The Manhattan man charged with defacing a painting of the Virgin Mary that he
found offensive wanted to "put an end" to the affront in time for Christmas,
his wife said yesterday.
"He thought it was a lack of respect for the mother of Christ to be painted
that way and be treated that way," said Dennis Heiner's wife, Helena, at their
Manhattan apartment.
"We are Catholics. He was angry and he had to say this is not right and put an
end to it.
Heiner, 72, was arrested yesterday at the Brooklyn Museum and charged with
smearing white paint on the painting "The Holy Virgin Mary" by British artist
Chris Ofili.
The canvas has raised hackles among Catholics because it is adorned with
elephant dung, which Ofili insists merely represents his African heritage.
"Because it's near Christmas, [Dennis] thought it would be good to do it
today," said Mrs. Heiner, 89.
"I encouraged him to do it."
Mrs. Heiner, who is now blind, said she used to be a painter and told her
husband what kind of paint to buy.
"I told him to take white paint because I like the color better than red. White
indicates cleanliness," she said.
She said her husband regularly protests outside a Manhattan abortion clinic --
and has been arrested at anti-abortion protests at least once.
Both Heiners have medical degrees, speak seven languages between them and live
in an apartment filled with books and religious icons, including a bust of the
Virgin Mary by their bed.
They lived for many years in Spain, where she said her husband taught in a
private school and she worked as a doctor.
She said she was proud of her husband -- but worried about his stay in custody.
"He's very daring," she said.
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Peter Piper
>dung-daubed
>Virgin Mary painting in the Brooklyn Museum's Sensation show yesterday --
>while
>guards merely stood by, witnesses said.
>"Blasphemy!" said Dennis Heiner
What a loon. You aren't supposed to have portraits of Jesus or statues bearing
the likeness of anyone of the divine folks in the bible. You aren't even
supposed to wear a crucifix, from what I remember.
It's in the BIBLE ya know. LOL!
gorj...@webtv.net
yourself
and pray. You are not to pray in public, lest people say how wonderful
you are for praying
and praise you for doing so.