Gina Rinehart, Australia’s richest woman (a billionaire heiress to mining fortunes), is a patron of the National Gallery, which is currently hosting an exhibition by prominent Australian artist Vincent Namatjira.
Among his works is a caricature portrait of Rinehart, along with 20 other well-known individuals, including Queen Elizabeth, footballers, singers, and politicians. All are depicted as caricatures.
However, Rinehart has requested that her portrait be removed from the exhibition. But the National Gallery said “no” to its benefactor, once again sparking a discussion about art and censorship.
Art critics explain that Namatjira’s paintings address the shifting perspectives of people by using satire as a “commentary” on power. The artist himself states that his intention is to make viewers reflect on the influence and privileges held by certain individuals. “I paint people who are rich, powerful, or important, people who have had an influence on this country and on me personally, either directly or indirectly, for good or for bad,” added the painter. “Some may not like it, others may find it funny, but I hope people look beyond the surface. We are all equal… Regardless of our heritage or background.”
A similar discussion is taking place in New York around another provocative work by Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan. At the Gagosian Gallery, a middle-aged man, sculpted in white marble, lies on a bench. With one hand covering his face and the other touching his pants’ zipper, a small puddle forms in front of him. The man is urinating in public, and the artist, with the title “November,” dedicates the work “to the groups that are invisible in society.” The curator of the exhibition explains that the artist does not intend to provoke. “If you’re free to buy guns from a supermarket in America, why is it wrong to urinate in public?” he asks.
Of course, when you’re Maurizio Cattelan, things are easier. Hence, he has been invited to participate in the Vatican’s pavilion at this year’s Venice Biennale, despite scandalising the faithful a few years ago with his work “La Nona Ora.” The sculpture depicted the Pope leaning on the ground, struck by a meteorite.
“All power, any power, has an expiration date, just like milk,” says Cattelan, raising his middle finger to the sky in another of his works.
A monumental hand with its four fingers cut off.
