Blasphemy and art

(Currently enjoying his Warholian 15 minutes is Mideo Cruz, seen here posing beside his controversial art installation, 'Politeismo' (REUTERS Photo) 

I am not surprised at the violent reaction generated by the Kulo exhibit at the CCP. According to the news, the exhibit, a collaboration of several artists, features the posters of Christ, Virgin Mary and other religious items that are combined with phallic objects.
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Modern Filipino visual arts had its beginning in religious symbols. It was the Spaniards who brought paintings and other visual representation art here in the country as a means of communicating basic Catholic teachings to the Filipino natives, the indios. The natives in turn adopted and accepted the artworks and in time showed their talents in reproducing these images. (60 Filipino Masterpieces, 1986)

These images soon began to evolve into more than symbols. The veneration and adoration of these images somehow made the early Filipinos believe that these artworks especially the representation of Christ, the Virgin Mary, the Holy Family and the cross as having divinity. The natives started to believe that these religious images have pieces of deity in them thus possessing powers to heal, to drive away spirits and even to confer absolution. This is not unthinkable since the doctrine of transubstantiation made the early Filipinos believe, especially the cannibals, that they are ingesting parts of God with them. 

So, religious artworks here in the Philippines are not mere artwork, there is divinity in them thus disfigurement or alteration to these images especially of Christ, the Virgin Mary and the Crucifix is direct blasphemy of the Deity. This is beside the fact that these images do not in any way look like the real Christ or God or Mary. We have many representation of Christ there’s the black, white, Asian and the faces of this Christ could vary from the shaved, bearded, smiling, and stern faced, wearing a crown, bareheaded etc. Yet any disrespect to any of these images is a considered blasphemy. So with Mary, she has varied images, faces, sizes and even race.

Acceptance and appreciation of iconoclastic art here in the country still has a long-long way to go. Filipinos are generally emotional people still incapable of processing processing the symbolic and abstract meaning of this kind of art.

CCP has no choice but to take down the exhibit lest the agency's official's be crucified.