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August 8, 2008
Christopher Allen, one of the judges for the Blake Prize for Religious Art, has resigned from the judging panel over the inclusion of Adam Cullen's entry. Cullen's triptych shows Christ on the cross and the inscription "only woman bleed", a line inspired by a song by the shock-rocker Alice Cooper.
Adam Cullen, Corpus Christi (Women Only Bleed), 2008
Allen, who is the national art critic for The Australian, said that Cullen's work "has a kind of deliberate ugliness which has been exploited as a gimmick. This isn't a personal preference, it's a judgment." He adds that the artist's work is "clumsy", "boring" and that Cullen "deliberately takes ugliness to the point of provocation".That implies an aesthetic position that art should be beautiful and morally uplifting and that ugliness is not a part of art.
However, as Andrew Frost points out, the Blake is founded on the belief that it "embraces diversity in its entries and … remains open to the many styles through which artists engage with the subject area".
What this even highlights is that The Australian has conservative art critic whose view is that art's only role is to be beautiful while reinforcing conservative notions of good taste and decorum.
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Gary,
I think this painting fits within the criteria. Yes it is not a fabulous work of art and would probably look good on an alley wall somewhere but after all it is just an entrant not the winner. Like this years Archibald where there were some real shockers Allen should realize that Australia is only a little place. I think he needs a good slapping.
I cant find any reason in the lyrics of the song to call the painting that but thats OK I don't need to understand the artists thinking. Myself, I would of called the painting "The crucification of John Merrick"
B.t.w when someone subscribes to the feed of Rizones Public Opinion is what is subscribed too in I.E