The ' religous Right '

Welcome back and good luck :)

Enjoy them while you can. They will be pulled anytime soon.

expecting some mail in the next few days i suppose, mate.

this is an issue that greatly concerns me, also. it is difficult to argue against any lobby group (because we all have a right to organised lobbying), but there is a great price to pay for having them around.

Love your work Mick. You could write a thousand words on the new right fundamentalism and this one image says it all more precisely. So too, does the push to ban your work. This site would be a more pedestrian and ordinary place if the conservative elements on here have their way. Personally I find the mediocrity of their work far more offensive than anythi g you have produced.

The trouble is, what they espouse is not what they do.

Very brave, bold and powerful image, and with a message that is becoming more and more obvious all over the world. Offended, not at all, just the truth out there….Well done!

Brave men are great men….stirred up a hornets nest with your series havent you…your having a say that most believe….i was going to do some pics that were on the same page as you but with no flag….thank ^&%* i didnt…...i couldnt stand all this attention…...just find another angle maybe?

I’ll stick to cars….safer

Mick
Doesnt descrate the flag, is clear who you are targetting (not an entire nation), is subtle (sort of). We have discussed this (keeping us working late tonight) and we are fine with this.

very glad you’re doing what you do, Mick.

Well, they’re still goin on and on and on, over at the Content Guidelines page about this issue. What astounds me is that a group is emerging that doesn’t find the massacre in Iraq or Afghanistan offensive, but blood on a flag really busts their gonads.

You might want to spell religious correct on your title. I refuse to respond anymore to your attempts to gain notoriety. Your facts are incorrect.

In all fairness, Susan, I don’t think that Mick’s intention was to gain notoriety, but rather it happened all on it’s own.

Mick keep them coming. I like your honesty and what you say is true, but they do it with every election. Hopefully the error of the last election will be corrected in 2009 and america can get back in balance. the bumber sticker I love and see a lot around here in North east US is
“2009 the end of an error”

Good job Mick. And, good luck.

Pilgrim said… “We have discussed this (keeping us working late tonight) and we are fine with this.”
does that mean that it is a step towards freedom of expression through art here?

Nice to see your new upload.

rb will be ‘fine with this’ until the loons start shrieking again.

I’m still amazed how they have so much energy to stop people critiquing their country and its actions, but so little to actually do anything about those actions. One can only conclude they support them.

The kicker is that they are charging that critical use of ‘their’ flag promotes hatred of USA-ians—yet their own actions are so much more effective! I really am finding it difficult to find any redeeming feature in the USA and the majority of its citizens at the moment.

I will say again.The reactions generated justify the image as presented. nuff said.

I don’t see any Americans saying anything in this thread to help justify this picture, can you point them out for me.

If I were to hate a particular country and join an art site where I would be meeting individuals from that country, I’m sure it wouldn’t take long for me to come to like some of those individuals and therefor be unable to do such things to offend them. If I had such hatred for a country, as an artist I might want to express my opinions through my art, by having my agent promote me and by having gallery showings as well. I don’t have an agent, I’m not a professional artist, I guess I can’t do that…...maybe you can but this is not the place for these things. I am very curious as to why Australians are not spending more time making “political art” concerning the issues in your own country, maybe you have no issues there…everything hunky dory there huh ? Hmmm I noticed that no persons from other countries are bashing and or making political art concerning other countries including yours…..... such misplaced anger….I guess someone has to have the big fat mouth.

I don’t know how many times it has to be said, funkyfacestudio, . The ‘hatred’ expressed here is for no particular group or culture. It is a hatred of oppression, economic imperialism, repugnant republican bigotry and the mass murder of innocent people. It’s also probably directed a little at those who allow such regimes to prosper through their willful ignorance or their need to play the victim, funkyfacestudio.
”…And if there are any historians
about years from now and there should be preserved on the kinescopes of one week
all three networks they will there find recorded
in black and white, and in color, evidence of decadence,
escapism and insulation from the realities
of the world in which we live. We are currently wealthy, fat,
comfortable, and complacent.We have a built-in allergy to
unpleasant or disturbing information. Our mass media reflect this…” Edward R. Murrow

I am not saying that people should not produce “political art” I am saying …why take a cheap digital photo of it and post it on an online gallery that is also a community, if you really believe in making a political point for the huge public to see than why not do it in a huge way. A gallery debut perhaps,drawing the media and the masses and have your ten minutes of fame ..if It’s good enough.

’m thinking the late Senator MacCarthy would being LOVING this site.

unbelievable. un-flipping-believeable.

this is the ultimate low; can’t get much worse than this.

wow.

You still haven’t answered my most important questions Shayne…..in hunky dory land but thats OK I dont really care I’m busy counting my sheep now.

the whole point FFS, is that people SHOULD be disgusted by the issues raised by some of the more politically aware posters on this site. We SHOULD be disturbed, moved, outraged; rather than be bored titless by some of the mediocrity dished up here.. Some brave souls are prepared to show us the truth about the world while morons on this site want to tell us it’s all raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens, bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens, brown paper packages tied up with strings, Cream colored ponies and crisp apple strudels, door bells and sleigh bells and schnitzel with noodles., wild geese that fly with the moon on their wings…. and oh, please, i may just upchuck.

The sound of music is glorious…..It’s such a nice place to think about…..dont you have kittens in your gallery? you do have a warm soul….I knew it :) wrinkled table clothes and cheap props don’t float my boat…..sorry :)

then all you need to do is enter puppy doggies or pussies in the search field, FFS. And if you find anything deeper than a puddle offensive, here’s a tip: don’t look at it. Now don’t forget me in your prayers, and go to bed.

Nighty night…. sweet dreams :)

Now where are my x-rated movies? Hmmmm

OOh shayne, before I go to bed ….you still haven’t answered my questions from 23? hours ago.

To humor me maybe you could explain them in Japanese….It’s such an interesting language. I myself can not speak any other language.

funkyfacestudio, about 24 hours ago
...I am very curious as to why Australians are not spending more time making “political art” concerning the issues in your own country, maybe you have no issues there…everything hunky dory there huh ? Hmmm I noticed that no persons from other countries are bashing and or making political art concerning other countries including yours…….. such misplaced anger….I guess someone has to have the big fat mouth.

As has been carefully explained, FFS, it’s not the country we hate, it’s the actions of it’s leadership. I mean, when you saw the photo evidence from Abu Graib, for example, what did you do? Think of woolen mittens? Do you understand that it’s your denial that enables such atrocities?
As for local criticism in our art, you haven’t looked closely. I’ve published photos of the APEC protest against the police state here which i attended, as well as the graphics, Howards War 2, retribution: howard’s war, signs of the times 1 and 2 etc., and if you look at other local artists, like John Douglas, you’ll see we are very critical of the reactionaries here too.

Anything else we can help you with?

The difference is that I would NOT offend other individuals countries in this forum, no matter how I really felt about them, their country or their countries policies. And I don’t do your mama’s jokes with people I don’t know…kapisch ?

The word is spelled ’ capisce’ and you the only reason you have no comment on international affairs is that you are about as informed as a litre of yoghurt.

yogurt! my friend

Hey ! bash your own country and some of us will bash ours.I’m sure you couldn’t have run out of material yet huh??? keep it coming.

and wtf am i trying to educate a desperate/stepford wife for anyway? outta here. :)

GEEZ ! took long enough to irritate you, wasn’t looking for an education. I thought….....If you can’t beat them, join them and guess what ? It’s true, this was really fun…... I’ll have to try this again for the sole purpose of amusing myself because we don’t often change peoples minds, do we ?. Have fun moving those Mountains.

The thing about making a political statement you want to actually make it political and not national…
Using the flag which represents a body of people – is to my mind wrong….

I’m Australian, do I agree with the current political party in power, NO I don’t….do I believe in the essence of what Australians stand for, you fucking bet….

This is a much BETTER use of the American Flag (I’m being sarcastic here):

http://www.rulen.com/kkk/

I didn’t link it because I don’t want to be accused of disseminating hate. Anyone who has chatted with me knows better than that. The flag of the United States is used in many vile depictions. Anyway, just food for thought.

Helen,
Please stop adding fuel to the fire here. The KKK is a hateful sect of white racists that I would never even want to come near. I am sure there are people all over the world with idiots like this that use their flag as a disguise for their own ignorance. This photo is similar. all that is needed is the white robe and it’s a KKK photo op! Oh, he still would need to hold the flag somewhere for it to be KKK but I doubt mick was up on our racist idiots here in the USA. I am sure there are racist idiots to poke fun at in Australia as well. Just stop and let it be. This disseminates hate and the KKK would love you for this photo. They would hate me for stopping it. Food for thought.

All I was trying to point out Susan is that this flag means different things to different people.

By the way, I didn’t take the photo Susan.

I don’t hate anyone. It’s ignorance that I have trouble dealing with. Besides, the site I pasted in my post claims not to support the KKK, but to explain that they fly the Stars and Stripes not the “beloved” Rebel Flag of the Old South. In addition to just READING the words, try COMPREHENDING them as well.

My point, in case you missed it, and you probably did, is that if you want to bash someone for using the U.S. Flag in a hateful way, there are plenty of groups out there flying Old Glory in an evil and hateful way. Go after them for a while.

. In addition to just READING the words, try COMPREHENDING them as well. Helen, I did read and I can comprehend. Thank you for worrying about me. I am fine.

My point, in case you missed it, and you probably did, is that if you want to bash someone for using the U.S. Flag in a hateful way, there are plenty of groups out there flying Old Glory in an evil and hateful way. Go after them for a while.
Helen, I do go after anyone who uses the flag in a hateful way so what to you think this photo is all about or the KKK anyway my dear? He only needs to have the white robe on and he’s in. You want to promote the photo to stay so you support a photo that the KKK would love to have. Hey, I can send it to them and see if they like it. This could be there new poster and mick could sell a bunch to the white racists. Of course the title would change but the photo would be perfect for their KKK campaign to take over the world where we are all white and disguised under the flag as patriots though they are cowards. Mick has a mask and they wear funny robes. They are evil and spew hatred. I agree with your website so I was pointing out that this photo is just the same hatred spewed un the umbrella of our flag. It’s wrong and needs to stop. Evil breeds evil.

sorry for some typo’s in the above posting.

WTF is wrong with you? I quit.

good, the end. Have a nice day Helen. Smile for a change.

wow

OMG I saw geo all over this!!!