Wheat, wine and a whinge

What an exciting week! Version 1.0's new show, Deeply Offensive and Utterly Untrue, is certainly attracting the right people. Last night, Terence Cole, the appointed commissioner of the Australian Wheat Board inquiry turned up to see the theatrical spin on his report.

It just so happens that he turned up on a student-rush night, and consequently was surrounded by over 100 local university students eager to drink in the subject matter. From all reports the artist-talk discussion after the show was a lively affair.

Opening night also saw David Marr attend, the Sydney Morning Herald journalist who has been agitating aggressively for more governmental accountability. The show should have been right up his alley.

And today, News Limited and Fairfax have grabbed onto a story condemning some artworks submitted to the Blake Prize for Religious Art - the oldest prize in Australia dedicated to spirituality, religion and cultural diversity.

It appears that the Prime Minister, John Howard has expressed disgust at some of the entries. He told the Daily Telegraph that some pieces entered into the competition were 'gratuitously offensive'.

By 3pm this afternoon Opposition Leader Kevin Rudd did another 'me too' and said "I find this painting off, off in the extreme."

And what were they offended and put off by you may well ask?

There's a piece that is a holygrophic image that morphs between the images of Jesus Christ and Osama bin Laden. As well as this, there is a sculpture of the Virgin Mary wearing a burqa.

How delicious.

Meanwhile the head of the Islamic Council said he wasn't at all offended by Mary in the Burqa saying to the Herald, that it is "no different to how our mothers and sisters are expected to be modest in their dressing."

Of course no one has really talked about who actually won the event. The Herald did put a brief line in the end of their article, but your trusted sydney arts journo will give you the full judges decision straight which is published openly on their website:

"The Judges were deeply impressed by the diverse intentions of the artists who submitted – everything from an expression of lived experience, of spiritual commitment/journey, through to work that investigated the problems of religious ideology as they are played out through politics and culture in global life.

"The winning work by Shirley Purdie is simply delicious in colour, texture and feeling. It is a marvellously realised painterly journey that recreates the stories told to the artist in childhood of the Stations of the Cross in Warmun country using a breathtakingly beautiful natural ochre pallette made from the earths eroded from the very Kimberley rocks whose mobile shapes enclose and frame the vignettes of story. A solidly honest, confident, and true painting it becomes a meditation on travelling within the artists country following a remembered and cherished biblical journey of suffering and pain towards redemption, and perhaps as well asks us to reflect on loss, pain and the journeys we all need to make towards each other."

I wonder what Mr Howard and Mr Rudd possibly have to say about the winning entry.

Mr Howard?

Mr Rudd?

Hello.... anyone???

Image: abelincoln.com