Inflammatory Art

[3113]

Full story here.

Standing before an easel on a Van Nuys sidewalk, Alex Schaefer dabbed paint onto a canvas. "There you have it," he said. "Inflammatory art."

The 22-by-28-inch en plein air oil painting is certainly hot enough to inflame Los Angeles police. Twice they've come to investigate why the 41-year-old Eagle Rock artist is painting an image of a bank building going up in flames.

Schaefer had barely added the orange-and-yellow depiction of fire shooting from the roof of a Chase Bank branch when police rolled up to the corner of Van Nuys Boulevard and Sylvan Street on July 30. "They told me that somebody had called and said they felt threatened by my painting," Schaefer said.

"They said they had to find out my intention. They asked if I was a terrorist and was I going to follow through and do what I was painting."

Well, I actually feel better now. It's nice to know that terrorists paint their intentions before they act on them. Who knew terrorism was so easy to stop? Just find the right art galleries!

The offending painting:

http://www.latimes.com/media/photo/2011-08/64299581.jpg

 

[fuckwaffle]

People today are so stupid, so ill-informed, to fuckin' PC.

[sarcasm]I'm so sensitive, that your post just makes me feel so afraid, I have called the police on you to make you stop posting this tripe. [/sarcasm]

 

[Boxlicker101]

Well, he certainly isn't doing anything illegal.

 

[Handley_Page]

Well, he certainly isn't doing anything illegal.

~~~~~~~~~~~~
Yet !
~~~~~~~~

 

[fuckwaffle]

~~~~~~~~~~~~
Yet !
~~~~~~~~

Uh, and this from someone who haunts a porn board...

I guess the same could be said about you then...

YET.

 

[sr71plt]

A "rock and a hard place" situation. Terrorists and mass killers do tend to telegraph their intentions before they act--and when they have done so and no one has checked it out, folks are quick to scream about ignoring the signs. So, no reason why it shouldn't be checked out--given the world we've created for ourselves.

 

[mynameisben]

A "rock and a hard place" situation. Terrorists and mass killers do tend to telegraph their intentions before they act--and when they have done so and no one has checked it out, folks are quick to scream about ignoring the signs. So, no reason why it shouldn't be checked out--given the world we've created for ourselves.

As a member of this world, I resent the broad brush implication of "we've created for ourselves." I and billions more stand with the otherselves, thank you.

 

[fuckwaffle]

As a member of this world, I resent the broad brush implication of "we've created for ourselves." I and billions more stand with the otherselves, thank you.

He does do that quite often.

 

[TE999]

Freedom of expression. Case closed.

 

[sr71plt]

As a member of this world, I resent the broad brush implication of "we've created for ourselves." I and billions more stand with the otherselves, thank you.

Speaking of the collective doesn't single out the individual. *shrug* We, as the collective, have most certainly set ourselves up for this--in this case, helped by those crazies displaying the signaling behavior to begin with.

Do you question that such signaling is part of terrorist and mass murderer behavior? We'll just see how you react on the forum when such signaling has been ignored, won't we? I know that each instance conflicts me on how I should react.

The issue here doesn't really have much to do with free expression. It has everything to do with behavior patterns and signaling of intentions.

I doubt this particular case means anything, but real world events have naturally led to the edges of caution. And I don't know what the full story is here. Does this guy have a room full of paintings of the same burning buildings? Or multiple burning Chase branches? Or even mulitple burning bank buildings? Has he been buying fertilizer or bomb parts? I'm not all that displeased that someone's checking into this.

 

[lovecraft68]

This is tough because my first reaction is freedom of expression. On the other hand this world is so screwed up right now I understand the paranoia.

Paranoia notwithstanding though the guy is doing nothing wrong and honestly is getting a lot of publicity. Think about how the internet creates overnight sensations. By next week some rich dink will buy the paintings or commision him to do some work.

But back to the other side of the coin. If the police did not check him out and the bank burned down tomorrow they would be taking some heat. As long as they weren't out of line with the guy I see no issue with their diligence.

 

[mynameisben]

I think the guy lurking in the background, concealed in the shade of the umbrella, should have been stopped and pistol whipped.

 

[sr71plt]

I think the guy lurking in the background, concealed in the shade of the umbrella, should have been stopped and pistol whipped.

Yes, but because of his lack of fashion sense. (Everyone knows you don't wear brown pants with a blue umbrella.)

 

[3113]

Patriotically Correct?

People today are so stupid, so ill-informed, to fuckin' PC.

You're blaming this on being the police being too "PC"? You seem to have mistaken the definition of "PC"--if, that is, you think PC means "Politically Correct." PC would be if the guy had painted old people with walkers and the police had said, "Not all old people use walkers! Some are healthy and active. You need to stop being so prejudiced against old people."

That would have supported your argument of people being too Politically Correct. Now, on the other hand, if you're defining "PC" as being too "Patriotically Correct" then you're absolutely right. The Police were too Patriotically Correct in suspecting this guy of terrorism.

 

[3113]

A "rock and a hard place" situation. Terrorists and mass killers do tend to telegraph their intentions before they act--and when they have done so and no one has checked it out, folks are quick to scream about ignoring the signs. So, no reason why it shouldn't be checked out--given the world we've created for ourselves.

Granted--and you're right, they kinda have to check it out because if they don't they'll get blames. I was not, however, aware that terrorists were so honest. So, all the police have to do is come around and ask, "Are you a terrorist? Are you going to do this?" and the terrorist will admit to it and go quietly? I dunno. If I were a terrorist, I think I'd lie and say it was just art.

 

[lovecraft68]

I think the guy lurking in the background, concealed in the shade of the umbrella, should have been stopped and pistol whipped.

I agree, man up and deal with the sun. Damn wuss.

 

[sr71plt]

Granted--and you're right, they kinda have to check it out because if they don't they'll get blames. I was not, however, aware that terrorists were so honest. So, all the police have to do is come around and ask, "Are you a terrorist? Are you going to do this?" and the terrorist will admit to it and go quietly? I dunno. If I were a terrorist, I think I'd lie and say it was just art.

Well, sure, if I were the cops who showed up, I'd probably do what they apparently did: take a look see (they were responding to a call), have a good laugh by asking him if he was a terrorist, and then get back in the squad car and complete the paperwork of having done their jobs. If I got another call about him that added disturbing context, I'd probably check it out with a little less joking. That's the cops doing the job we paid them to do.

 

[driphoney]

Why would a man paint en plein air a bank raging with fire where everyone passing by could witness it? He could have taken a snapshot and painted it in his home.

Shock and awe.

A major theme of modern art. The man has to be thrilled that he was so successful at getting the attention he obviously was seeking.

Doesn't make him a better painter, but probably will get him a paycheck.

 

[Handley_Page]

Uh, and this from someone who haunts a porn board...

I guess the same could be said about you then...

YET.

I suspect you missed the intended irony. . . .
[it depends upon who defined what illegal ]

 

[mynameisben]

If you really want to see inflammatory art, you should check out my grandmother's oil paintings of her hemorrhoids.

 

[xssve]

Stupid. Everybody knows terrorists work exclusively in crayon.

 

[driphoney]

If you really want to see inflammatory art, you should check out my grandmother's oil paintings of her hemorrhoids.

Stupid. Everybody knows terrorists work exclusively in crayon.

Thanks for the chuckle.

 

[Handley_Page]

Stupid. Everybody knows terrorists work exclusively in crayon.

or with a stick in the sand. . . .