Britney Sculpture of Birth Causes Stir

[Cyclonus]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060328/...y_art_brouhaha

NEW YORK - Britney Spears will soon be giving birth again — in Brooklyn, as a sexy sculpture that has drawn thousands of hate e-mails.

"This is a new take on pro-life. Pro-lifers normally promote bloody images of abortion. This is the image of birth," Daniel Edwards said of his work, to be unveiled at a Brooklyn gallery in April, months after Edwards' sculpture of Ted Williams severed head stirred up an artistic storm.

The life-size pop princess is naked and pregnant, crouching face-down on a bare-toothed bear rug as the baby's head appears on the opposite end.

On Tuesday at his studio in Moosup, Conn., Edwards was pouring a mold to cast the sculpture in resin. It'll be transported to the Capla Kesting Fine Art gallery in Brooklyn's artsy Williamsburg neighborhood, where Britney the artwork is to appear next to a display case filled with pro-life materials.

When some bloggers heard about the exhibit — "Monument to Pro-Life: The Birth of Sean Preston" — the gallery was inundated with about 3,000 e-mails from around the world in just a week, split between pro-choice and pro-life opinions.

"We also got calls from Tokyo, England, France. Some people are upset that Britney is being used for this subject matter," said gallery co-owner David Kesting. "Others who are pro-life thought this was degrading to their movement. And some pro-choice people were upset that this is a pro-life monument."

The gallery is hiring extra security guards for the free exhibit opening April 7 and running two weeks.

The sculptor's three children — ages 3, 6, and 8 — helped build the first clay model of the sculpted Britney, mainly the bear rug.

"At first, the kids thought it was kind of gross. Yukky. But then, they got curious," their 40-year-old dad said in a telephone interview from his home, which is near his studio.

Compared to the hubbub around his art, Edwards' life is peaceful. He takes care of his two boys and a girl during the day, while his wife, a microbiologist whom he married right after high school, goes to work. Then they switch childcare duties while he works on his art.

His sculpture of the pop diva comes six months after she gave birth to her first child, Sean Preston — and about a half year after Edwards displayed what he called his "shrine" to baseball great Williams, whose body was decapitated and frozen in hopes that medical science could one day revive him.

When asked why he creates art that generates publicity for him by piggybacking on subjects hyped in the media, Edwards said: "You're bombarded with these stories. And there's a thread that winds back to the art. That's not a bad thing. People are interested in these topics, and it works for art as well."

Spears' publicist, Leslie Sloan, did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Associated Press on Tuesday. Edwards said he never spoke to or met the star, and that he fashioned her face and figure from photographs.

"I admire her. This is an idealized figure," he said. "Everyone is coming at me with anger and venom, but I depicted her as she has depicted herself — seductively. Suddenly, she's a mom."

His aim, said the son of a mother who gave birth to him when she was 17, was to stir up debate about a difficult topic that "is greater than the issues presented by either pro-life and pro-choice advocates."

When asked whether he's pro-life, he said, "You nailed me. I'm not saying that I am. I wouldn't march with either pro-life or pro-choice advocates. This is not meant to be political."

A Democrat, "I don't judge anybody for the decision they make."

What...the...fuck...?

I wouldn't be the least bit surprised if Britney slapped this guy with a big fat lawsuit.

[Lynn7]

I saw this a few days ago and I thought this is so full of crap. Prolife? In what way? I would be so mad if I was Britney Spears. Actually, I would not be surprised to hear that this guy is prochoice and trying to get a rise out of prolifers. Just a thought.

[Tagia_Romero]

I'm tired. I'm going to bed.

[lccfilmstudent]

jesus in that position it looks like britney is gonna try and break a distance record in baby shooting.

[jolanar]

Originally posted by lccfilmstudent
jesus in that position it looks like britney is gonna try and break a distance record in baby shooting.

Yah no joke? Doesn't that seem like an odd position to immortalize in stone? I am not 100% familiar with the whole process but jesus, it looks like shes about to take it doggy style from K Fed.

[EBastard]

Seeing that sculpture makes me wanna change my positon to Pro-Choice.

Fucking weird...



SHIVER ME TIMBERS...

YOUR FRIENDLY NEIGHBORHOOD BASTARDO.

[KcMsterpce]

I saw this article, too...

I don't mind it. First of all, it DOESN'T look like Spears (BONUS!!), and second of all, I like that position. All I have to do is not look at the big belly and I'm having a field day with my date, Hanjela!

Hahahah.... man, I'm funny.

[ComeNightfall]

I can think of better people to create a statue of than Britney Spears. According to what I've heard, this guy commends Britney for giving up her career to have her baby. But her career was pretty much in the crapper when she got pregnant anyway.

Oh well, at least it's not a nude statue of K-Fed.

[gorysnoopy]

That statue is the most hideous thing I have ever seen.

[RustyRazor]

Image of birth?!
That's the cover to her next f**cking album!

With her new NO.1 singles "Shit, I did it again...with that douchebag Kevin" and "Catch My Baby One More Time".

Artistic expression is something I can appreciate.
This guy is

a) full of shit
b) probably into pregnant women OR has a thing for Britney
c) needs another few psychotherapy sessions and a LOT more online art courses. That DOES NOT look like Britney. Just because you can draw Cubby or The Pirate, you're not friggin Monet.

[JackD.Ripper]

Does anyone have a picture of that thing from behind? I'm withholding judgment until I see that.


WOW! Scratch that comment, I just read some of the article and the baby's head is coming out!!! What a sick twisted fucker.

[AngelDust06]

its an ugly ass sculpture.....lol do they come in minatures??

[gorysnoopy]

Originally posted by RustyRazor
Image of birth?!
That's the cover to her next f**cking album!

With her new NO.1 singles "Shit, I did it again...with that douchebag Kevin" and "Catch My Baby One More Time".

Artistic expression is something I can appreciate.
This guy is

a) full of shit
b) probably into pregnant women OR has a thing for Britney
c) needs another few psychotherapy sessions and a LOT more online art courses. That DOES NOT look like Britney. Just because you can draw Cubby or The Pirate, you're not friggin Monet.

Damn it Rusty..I just shot water out of my nose.
Gotta remember not to read your posts while drinking..

I never could draw Cubby or that damn Pirate

[Lynn7]

This guy is making his name on shock. I read that his last sculpure was of Ted Williams' severed head.

Here's the link if anyone wants a look at Ted's head:

Ted's head

[Mr. HokeyPokey]

When I first saw this on CNN they said Britney posed for the artist to take a picture and then model the sculpture so you can throw out any lawsuit ideas.

[RustyRazor]

Originally posted by gorysnoopy
Damn it Rusty..I just shot water out of my nose.
Gotta remember not to read your posts while drinking..

I never could draw Cubby or that damn Pirate

Don't sweat it, Snoopy.
I drew both Cubby and the Pirate (pretty good I might add) and signed up for that damned program. Paid 'em for their courses and after a few months of getting sent a bunch of bullshit literature and telling me that the assignments (drawings) I sent in "needed work", I told them to kiss my whole wheat enriched ass and thanks for nothing.

Summary: art schools you find on the back of a matchbook are bullshit.

But if this guy can get all of this press from doing perverted sculptures of who is supposed to be Britney, maybe I should start doing some provocate pictures of Cubby and the Pirate.

Brokeback Cubby?
"Pirate, I wish I could quit you."

[Damone]

Originally posted by RustyRazor
IArtistic expression is something I can appreciate.

That's the position she was in when she got pregnant and now she's in the same position giving birth.

It's the circle of life.

Spit it out the way it went in.

[RustyRazor]

Originally posted by Damone
That's the position she was in when she got pregnant and now she's in the same position giving birth.

It's the circle of life.

Spit it out the way it went in.

Dude! I was hosting a brunch and showing them this thread when you said that! I've got ten people hurling all over my patio...!

Just kidding.
Thanks for the imagery, D.

[Damone]

Originally posted by RustyRazor
Dude! I was hosting a brunch and showing them this thread when you said that! I've got ten people hurling all over my patio...!

Just kidding.
Thanks for the imagery, D.

Glad to be of some help.