What is artist Daniel Edwards actually trying to say? Should I take offense at how he portrayed a black woman in his statue, The Oprah Sarcophagus? If nothing else, the work apparently is another example of how the inspiration for artistic expression in contemporary culture often is drawn from the dregs and darkness of the heart, not its best intentions.
What was said during Countdown with Keith Olbermann on MSNBC:
Edwards' other works portraying Britney Spears and Paris Hilton also speak to an artistic form that is upheld by seeming cruelty, not keen observation.
It's also interesting that the Oprah piece draws from a supernatural perspective that does not recognize the supremacy of one God, as revealed as Father, Son and the Holy Spirit. Instead, Edwards' perspective gives credence to the idea of gods and goddesses. The New York Observer quotes the artist as saying that the work "pays homage to the closest thing America has to a living deity."
Really?
It is true that the media and fans everywhere often attribute to celebrities -- whether dead or alive -- a form of worship. News of them fills our everyday lives. This does not mean that every celebrity figure seeks this attention or that their work or success are misplaced. For instance, I happen to admire Oprah for her ability to speak and empower a cross-section of women.
However, to attribute an inordinate amount of affection, hope or trust to anyone who is flesh and blood means treading not on sacred ground, but on shaky ground, for the mortal does not give life.
Ironically, Edwards calls the work The Oprah Sarcophagus. Well, a sacrophogus is a casket. For the dead. And the powerless. Maybe that's the sly message we can take away from Edwards' piece: dislodge the celebrity idols from their pedestals and treat them as human beings -- loved, though flawed.
At least I would like to hope so.
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