British SK Myra Hindley's portrait to be displayed at art exhibition,provokes media criticism
Joe1orbit
Hello,
Over in England it looks like the nation has something else to be
"outraged" about, other than the death of their princess. Earlier today one
of Britain's leading art galleries announced that they would be exhibiting
a portrait of Myra Hindley, the female half of the Hindley/Ian Brady serial
killing duo, who serially slaughtered five children, torturing them before
death and recording their screams and cries, way back in the 1960's.
This public display of her portrait, which is nothing more than a black
& white painting of the famous police mugshot photo of Myra taken at the
time of her arrest, has provoked an "explosion of national outrage" in
Britain, according to this wire report. I am totally mystified as to why
the simple exhibition of a portrait of Myra in a public art gallery would
upset anyone. It's not like she is being shown wielding a knife, or
torturing a child. It's simply a facial portrait of Myra. I don't see
anything remotely controversial about an art gallery displaying this painting.
The painting itself was apparently made by the artist, using hundreds of
tiny imprints of a child's hand, to spread the ink and create the painting.
So what? I still don't see anything controversial enough to warrant any
"national outrage". If the artist had dug up the skeletal remains of one of
Myra's victims, and used the bones in his artwork, that might warrant a bit
of outrage on the part of the Unwashed Masses. But there is nothing
remotely like that in this painting.
Oh well, it sounds like the art gallery will not be bowing to ridiculous
public sentiment, and will definately include this portrait of Myra in the
exhibition, which opens later this week. Bravo to them! Or as the British
might say "Don't get your knickers in a pinch, old chap, this should prove
to be a jolly good show, now that Myra is on display".
Take care, JOE
The following appears courtesy of today's Reuters news wire:
By Tara FitzGerald
LONDON, Sept 16 (Reuter) - An exhibition portrait of an infamous British
child killer created out of hundreds of tiny imprints of an child's hand
has sparked an explosion of national outrage.
One of Britain's leading art galleries announced on Tuesday that it would
include a portrait of the reviled murderess, Myra Hindley, in a
controversial exhibition opening this week.
The ``Sensation'' exhibition, mounted by the 229-year-old Royal Academy,
has already provoked a barrage of criticism in the media ahead of its
scheduled opening on Thursday, due to its plans to include works which some
consider offensive, pornographic or blasphemous.
But it is the portrait of Hindley that has stirred up the most public anger.
Hindley was sentenced to life imprisonment in 1966 for the murders of five
children, some of whose bodies were found buried on a lonely moor in
northern England.
The ``Moors Murders'' carried out by Hindley and her lover Ian Brady
shocked Britain to the core. The children were tortured and their agonies
taped by the couple.
Few murderers given life sentences in Britain serve more than 25 years,
but former home secretary Michael Howard decreed in 1994 that Hindley
should never be freed.
Hindley herself has condemned the portrait, along with several members of
the Royal Academy and Winnie Johnson, mother of one of Hindley's victims,
Keith Bennett.
Johnson called the London-based Academy ``sick and disgusting'' for
refusing to withdraw the Hindley portrait and said right-thinking people
should boycott the exhibition.
``I don't want any member of the public to go near it and, if they do,
they are as sick as Hindley is,'' she said.
The black-and-white painting of Hindley is a copy of the infamous police
photo taken at the time of her arrest, and was painted by Marcus Harvey, a
part-time artist and care worker.
The police mugshot of the staring peroxide blonde murderess, who now
claims she is a changed woman, is one of the most recognised photographs in
Britain.
Norman Rosenthal, secretary of the exhibition, defended the Academy's
decision to show the portrait, simply titled ``Myra,'' saying: ``It is an
incredibly grand picture dealing with very, very difficult and tricky
subjects.''
The Royal Academy is a private institution with 80 members, all of whom
are eminent artists or architects. It was once seen as the heart of the
British art world, but in recent years has been increasingly regarded as
out-of-touch and old-fashioned.
Damien Hirst, the ``enfant terrible'' of the British art world and
well-known for his controversial and often shocking creations, recently
accused the Royal Academy of being a ``big, fat, stuffy, old, pompous
institution'' and said he would never join.
The gallery does recognise the potentially shocking nature of the
exhibition, as parts of the show are banned to under-18s and there are
notices throughout warning members of the public of the ``distasteful''
nature of some pieces.
The 115 exhibits on display by 42 young British artists all come from the
private collection of advertising millionaire and art collector Charles
Saatchi, and include nine works by Hirst, including a preserved shark and a
cow sliced into 12 pieces.
The Royal Academy hopes up to 200,000 people will see the exhibition
before it closes on December 28.
18:22 09-16-97
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"A work of art is a dream of murder which is realized by an
act"------------Sartre
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Kevin Philbin
(Joe's post on Myra snipped)
Correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't the Smiths use that same picture of Hindley
on one of their album covers? Did that cause as much outrage?
IMHO, that photo makes me believe an evil life is not conducive to an
attractive appearance. To look at that face and think the woman pictured was 23
years old at the time blows my mind. She could pass for her forties easily.
Nevertheless, if my hoped-for trip to London this autumn happens (come on,
American Airlines, one more Netsaver fare from Boston to London!) I will
definitely check this exhibit out. Maybe when I win the lottery, I'll buy this
picture and include it in my planned serial killer wax museum and gift shop.
Malachii
On or about 17 Sep 1997 20:51:49 GMT, saint...@hotmail.com (Kevin
Philbin) may have wrote:
>>(Joe's post on Myra snipped)
>>
>>Correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't the Smiths use that same picture of Hindley
>>on one of their album covers? Did that cause as much outrage?
Not sure, but a Smith's song about Hindley, ("Suffer Little Children")
caused a "national outrage" when it came out.
Today's Toronto Sun has a colour pic of the painting. Looks like a
blurry b&w photo.
Peace,
WPT
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