What painting by Chris Ofili as part of the British exhibit sensation caused a public backlash against the NEA and public funding?



In October of 1999, Sensation opened at the Brooklyn Museum of Art, where it was Chris Ofili’s iconic painting, The Holy Virgin Mary that incited the most heated debate. Mayor Rudy Giuliani threatened to close the city-funded institution on the grounds that this artwork was offensive to religious viewers.

What was the name of the 1999 art exhibit that sparked a national debate about censorship?

Censorship, “Sick Stuff,” and Rudy Giuliani’s Fight to Shut Down the Brooklyn Museum. It began, as many great New York City controversies do, in the tabloids. On September 16th, 1999, the Daily News ran a little ditty (not even 600 words) headlined “B’Klyn Gallery of Horror.

What is Chris Ofili famous for?

elephant dung





Christopher Ofili, (born 10 October 1968) is a British Turner Prize-winning painter who is best known for his paintings incorporating elephant dung.

Which of the following artworks provoked a controversy about city funding for the Brooklyn museum when it was exhibited at that institution?

In 1999, the city-funded Brooklyn Museum of Art came under fire when it exhibited a Chris Ofili painting of the Virgin Mary that featured sexually explicit cutouts covered with elephant dung. The Catholic Church, as well as New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani, were outraged.

What do the painting of Loongkoonan teach us about?

“Loongkoonan’s paintings are records of her connection to country which she foot walked all over when younger. They reflect her intimate knowledge of this land, and as such are a powerful record of Aboriginal heritage and knowledge,” Mossenson said.

Why did Ofili paint the Holy Virgin Mary?

The Holy Virgin Mary





The painting is Ofili’s attempt to deal with his childhood questions about race and virgin mothers, in particular which women are permitted to be holy, to be pure, and to be considered ‘good mothers’.

What is Chris Ofili inspired by?

Ofili was also heavily inspired by music, particularly hip hop and also jazz. He saw these types of music as celebrations of Black culture, saying: ‘I wanted to paint things that would feel like that music’. Ofili would sometimes cut out images of Black music stars from magazines and use them in his paintings.