Submitted by Donald Hank:
State
Department wants $400K for camel sculpture in Pakistan:
report
The
Washington Times
Monday,
March 31, 2014
“Camel
Contemplating Needle” by John Baldessari at the HALL Wines winery in ...
Principio
del formulario
Final
del formulario
The
State Department wants to plunk down $400,000 in
taxpayer money for a camel sculpture at the new U.S.
Embassy being built in Islamabad, Pakistan,
according to a report Monday.
“Camel
Contemplating Needle,” created by American artist John
Baldessari, depicts a 500-pound white camel made of fiberglass
staring at the eye of an oversized needle, Buzzfeedfirst reported.
Officials
explained the decision to purchase the sculpture in a four-page document
justifying a “sole source” procurement.
“This
artist’s product is uniquely qualified,” the document states.
“Public art which will be presented in the new
embassy should reflect the values of a predominantly Islamist
country.”
State Department press spokeswoman Christine
Foushee told Buzzfeed that the proposed purchase comes from
the department’s “Office of Art in Embassies.”
Art
dealer Steven Beyer of Beyer Projects said the
government reached out to him.
“They
approached us,” he told Buzzfeed.
“We were, of course, quite surprised.”
He
said another copy of “Camel Contemplating a Needle” is on display in Napa
Valley, Calif.
Read more: http://www.washingtontimes.
Follow us: @washtimes on Twitter
Comment of Donald Hank: “This artist’s product is uniquely qualified,” the document states. “Public art which will be presented in the new embassy should reflect the values of a predominantly Islamist country.”
ReplyDeleteGreat. The ‘values’ of the predominantly Sunni Pakistan include aniconism.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aniconism_in_Islam
…the depiction of all humans and animals is discouraged in the hadith and by the long tradition of Islamic authorities, especially Sunni ones.
This camel should go over like a lead balloon. Isn’t the State Department supposed to be full of people who are aware of cultural sensitivities? I wonder if they even know that this piece represents an image from the New Testament. Oh, that’s right. John Kerry is the boss now. Nuff said.
Don Hank