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    Daily Brew

    Toronto artist’s sexy nun photos start protests in Spain

    By Jordana Divon | Daily Brew – Mon, 20 Feb, 2012

    Catholic group protests "against blasphemy" in the exhibition "Obscenity" (AFP Photo/Pierre-Philippe Marcou)A Canadian artist has caused a furor in Spain over his sexy photos.

    While the European country tends to have a generally relaxed attitude toward nudity, Bruce LaBruce's use of religious iconography drew the ire of Catholic and conservative groups.

    As the AFP reports, LaBruce's show, "Obscenity," an exhibition of 50 photographs that includes women posing provocatively as nuns, sparked protests of "blasphemy" after its Thursday premiere at Madrid's La Fresh Gallery.

    In one portrait (click here for a selection of images), Spanish actress Rossy de Palma appears in a nun's habit and lingerie, a rosary dangling from her lips.

    In another, singer Alaska wears a tight-fitting dress with a communion wafer on her tongue. A second pose, featuring the singer with her husband, Mario Vaquerizo, suggests an erotic reinterpretation of Michelangelo's Pietà.

    The Daily Mail notes that Vaquerizo has allegedly been fired from his job at a Catholic Church-managed radio station over his participation in the shoot.

    Other images range from a male priest lifting his frock to reveal a pair of bright red women's pumps to a blond, half-naked angel licking his lips.

    Spain's Eucharist Ministry demanded a protest "against blasphemy" outside the show's venue, adding that the demonstration would serve "in defence of our Christian roots and the Catholic faith."

    The article also mentions that the Francisco Franco Foundation—a group dedicated to preserving the memory of the country's former dictator—called the show a "a virulent and morbid attack on the Catholic religion."

    LaBruce, who seems to thrive on controversy, did not appear to be phased by the fallout.

    In a statement on the show's Tumblr page, he describes the show as "a most holy convergence of the sacred and the profane," and an "attempt to refine and redefine the nature of fetish and the taboo."

    He is also working on a film project with a similar theme.

    What do you feel about this article?

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    • Potty Mouth
      Potty Mouth  •  Vancouver, British Columbia  •  3 months ago
      His photos are boring, immature, and run-of-the-mill. YAWN.
      • Meds
        Meds 3 months ago
        I dunno. I kinda liked the one with the nun on her knees.
        Whatever do you think she might be insinuating with that pose and that tongue?
        I dunno, but I like the way it's open to interpretation, dig?
        Whatever could it mean? Hmmm...
    • g d
      g d  •  Moncton, New Brunswick  •  3 months ago
      Those pictures are just kind of creepy. Especially the one with the homely dude in it.
    • Canada First
      Canada First  •  3 months ago
      I don't find it to be art. It seems that something that a pubescent boy would come up with. I think that the exact thing that he wanted to bring up was controversy.
      • John Mutford
        John Mutford 3 months ago
        It reminded me of Nicki Minaj's (much criticized) recent Grammy performance.
      • A Yahoo! User 3 months ago
        Just an idiot trying to make himself famous by mocking the Catholic Church. Sounds familiar !
    • mp
      mp  •  3 months ago
      Hmmmmm......seems like the "protest" is giving the artist the publicity he was trying to get........
    • rod
      rod  •  Vancouver, British Columbia  •  3 months ago
      Is thoes pics are art?! Then where shall we find real art?!
    • A Yahoo! User  •  3 months ago
      If it was controvery he was looking for, he got his 15 minutes of fame. He's only one artist and certainly doesn't represent all artists in Canada. There is much bigger things in the world to get upset about than this doofus, like maybe the pictures similar to these but who portray real children instead of people posing as nuns.
      • Ramesh
        Ramesh 3 months ago
        I agree with you. However, many conservative organizations, Catholic Church, the so called family (religious right) organizations in USA etc. just can't leave well enough alone.

        These photographs would have remained obscure, most people would not have known about it, except for the heavy handedness of the Catholic Church. Catholic Church gave the photographs plenty of free publicity (and generated public sympathy for them). These people defeat their own cause by their holier than thou attitude.
    • TalkSense
      TalkSense  •  New Westminster, British Columbia  •  3 months ago
      There are two ways to become successful in the world of art, literature, and music. One is to actually create something of substance, skill, meaning, and depth, the other is to p**s of Christians. One of those two is quite difficult to do - the other, not so much.
    • A Yahoo! User  •  Toronto, Ontario  •  3 months ago
      Gallegos hijos de una horrenda puta!
    • canada
      canada  •  Montreal, Quebec  •  3 months ago
      no one support me as artist photographer and this stupid people where they found money and support I do not know ?
    • Different Opinions do not ...
      Different Opinions do not ...  •  Burnaby, British Columbia  •  3 months ago
      I not once made the mistake of actually thinking this person even resembled a nun, let alone a sexy one.
    • attombomb7
      attombomb7  •  Toronto, Ontario  •  3 months ago
      this is just a publicity stunt to get attention, nothing is going on in Spain
    • A
      A  •  Guelph, Ontario  •  3 months ago
      I've seen worse on album covers.
    • d_margaret77
      d_margaret77  •  Toronto, Ontario  •  3 months ago
      Oooo, so risque Bruce! Oh so done-before too, you ponce. Christianity is the easiest, most milquetoast target there is. Why don't you take on Islam, tough guy? Scared?
    • Stan
      Stan  •  London, Ontario  •  3 months ago
      Plain insult to catholics worldwide and catholic religion.
    • ZIZOUP
      ZIZOUP  •  3 months ago
      Imagine he had done that with islam...raging protests, killings, embassies and churches burned, death toll in 1000s...
    • d b
      d b  •  Edmonton, Alberta  •  3 months ago
      mabe the pics can turn the attention of the priests away from little boys.
    • wallacemagoo
      wallacemagoo  •  Toronto, Ontario  •  3 months ago
      Can't wait to see his series of photos of muslim women in hijab and burkas.
    • Memento Mori
      Memento Mori  •  3 months ago
      Meh! Spain has bigger problems than Nunderwear models.
    • 2B1 ACE
      2B1 ACE  •  Edmonton, Alberta  •  3 months ago
      Why those fools are not protesting against the pedophile the church is protecting.
    • semajppat
      semajppat  •  3 months ago
      After checking his background, readers of this story got off easy. He is also among other things, a director for underground gay porn films. So those photos are pretty lame I would think.
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