Angelina Jolie as the Virgin Mary

THL · 01-06-2007, 06:28 AM

Quote:

RALEIGH, N.C. - A North Carolina artist intrigued by the public obsession with celebrity has found herself feeding that obsession with a painting of actress Angelina Jolie as the Virgin Mary hovering over a Wal-Mart check-out line.

Kate Kretz has painted for 20 years but none of her previous work has garnered the attention given “Blessed Art Thou,” showing this weekend at Art Miami, an annual exposition of modern and contemporary art.

The painting has gotten much attention from celebrity web sites and blogs. Since the buzz started, the number of daily unique visitors to Kretz’s own blog has jumped from an average of 30 to 15,000 on Wednesday.

“My intention was to ask a question and get people to think,” Kretz said in a telephone interview Friday from Miami. “I had no idea so many people would be asking a question and thinking.”

The painting — acrylic and oil on linen — depicts an angelic Jolie in the clouds, holding her newborn daughter, Shiloh, with children Maddox and Zahara at her legs. Below them is a Wal-Mart checkout line. The painting is for sale for $50,000 through Chelsea Galleria in Miami, which represents Kretz.

On her blog, Kretz, 43, said the painting addresses “the celebrity worship cycle.” She said she chose Jolie for the subject “because of her unavoidable presence in the media, the worldwide anticipation of her child, her ‘unattainable’ beauty and the good that she is doing in the world through her example, which adds another layer to the already complicated questions surrounding her status.”

Washington Post art critic Blake Gopnik, asked to comment about “Blessed Art Thou” on a Post blog, was unimpressed. “Once you’ve deciphered it, there’s not much chance of giving it a second look,” Gopnik wrote.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16491316/

This picture kinda freaks me out and I dont think I understand the Jolie/Wal-Mart connection.

Asim Aquil · 01-06-2007, 07:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by THL

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16491316/

This picture kinda freaks me out and I dont think I understand the Jolie/Wal-Mart connection.

Why Walmart?

Shipwreck · 01-06-2007, 09:38 AM

$50,000 ?!?!

WTF

percentage_plyr · 01-06-2007, 11:54 AM

portraying consumerism/materialism and jolie as its 'messiah'?

Shipwreck · 01-06-2007, 12:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by percentage_plyr

portraying consumerism/materialism and jolie as its 'messiah'?

One will soon be able to adopt babies at Walmart ?

Shipwreck · 01-06-2007, 12:34 PM

As for the Jolie / Virgin Mary connection :

Quote:

Namibia Shielding Pitt and Jolie

By TERRY LEONARD
The Associated Press
Thursday, May 25, 2006; 4:01 PM

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa -- Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie have an entire government on their side in the latest celebrity vs. paparazzi skirmish as they await the birth of their child in seclusion at a resort in Namibia.

The Namibian Embassy in Pretoria tells journalists seeking visas for Namibia to cover the birth of the eagerly awaited celebrity baby that they must have permission from Pitt and Jolie in writing before they will be allowed into the country.

The government, which has seen its profile as a tourist destination increased by the celebrity visit, has arrested photographers, confiscated film, set up large green barriers on the beach to shield the couple and their children Zahara and Maddox, ringed the hotel with heavy security and threatened to expel any journalist trying to cover the birth without the parents' permission.

"This lady is expecting," Namibian Prime Minister Nahas Angula was quoted as telling South Africa's Sunday Times last month. "You guys are harassing her. Why don't you allow her some privacy? Harassment is not allowed in Namibia."

Interest has heightened in recent weeks as photographers anticipated the due date was near. It escalated Tuesday when an e-mail Pitt sent to the Cannes Film Festival and read to reporters there said he was unable to attend because of the baby's "imminent arrival."

Darryn Lyons, the chairman of Big Pictures, which runs Mr. Paparazzi.com, said in London that the two stars are certain to gain more attention by taking up residence in a poor corner of Africa then they would in the United States.

"I don't think they could have given the people more of an appetite to see the new creature," said Lyons, referring to the decision to hole up in Namibia. "It is the most anticipated baby since Jesus Christ."

"They would have been more discreet sitting in Malibu," he said. "I don't know why they're going to all this ridiculous trouble."

Before Pitt and Jolie took up residence at a luxury hotel on the Namibian coast, the government never required that journalists get permission from private citizens _ foreign or otherwise _ to obtain a visa.

John Liebengerg, a South African magazine photographer, was arrested Wednesday for a second time in less than a week for trying to take pictures of the couple at a restaurant.

The arrest was condemned by the South African National Editors Forum.

"The forum believes citizens have a right to privacy, however journalists also have a right to be able to do their jobs without unfair hindrance or intimidation," the forum said in a statement.

South Africa's Sunday Times said last month its own photographer and three French photographers were ordered to leave Namibia or face arrest.

Lyons said he has a team in place in Namibia, but that none of his photographers have been arrested. He added someone _ perhaps even the midwife _ with a small camera or one built into their mobile phone stood to make a lot of money.

"You could probably buy Namibia with that picture," he said, estimating the first picture of Pitt and Jolie's baby would be worth $5 million.

Namibia, a country half the size of Alaska, is rich in diamonds and strategic metals, but most of its 1.8 million people are poor.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...052501187.html

RustyBattleship · 01-06-2007, 15:46 PM

That picture is sort of small, but doesn't that child to the right (Jolie's left) look like it has HORNS?

sappersgt · 01-06-2007, 18:23 PM

Quote:

Namibia, a country half the size of Alaska, is rich in diamonds and strategic metals, but most of its 1.8 million people are poor.

Truffles! They've also got lot's of truffles. Truffles and tourists and desert.

01-06-2007, 09:38 AM	#3 (permalink)
Shipwreck Finer than the Finest... *Senior Contributor* Join Date: 01-07-06 Location: Somewhere over the rainbow Posts: 1,872 Country:	$50,000 ?!?! WTF __________________ *"Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God" (Matthew 5:9)* Last edited by Shipwreck : 01-06-2007 at 10:04 AM.

01-06-2007, 11:54 AM	#4 (permalink)
percentage_plyr Contributor Join Date: 05-12-06 Location: india Posts: 477 Country:	portraying consumerism/materialism and jolie as its 'messiah'? __________________ ALL RIGHT RESERVED, ALL WRONG AVENGED. ......and on the 8th day,God said,"OK,Murphy,now you take over!"

01-06-2007, 15:46 PM	#7 (permalink)
RustyBattleship *Defense Professional* Join Date: 01-12-06 Location: Long Beach, CA Posts: 2,665	That picture is sort of small, but doesn't that child to the right (Jolie's left) look like it has HORNS? __________________ Able to leap tall tales in a single groan.

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