S. Brent Plate

Blasphemy provides an accessible cultural history of contentious images within Christianity, Judaism, Islam and the secular nation state, with a focus on the social, political, and psychological forces influencing the art world today and throughout history. With examples ranging from Andres Serrano's salacious Piss Christ, which fuelled debates over public funding of the arts in the US, to Theo Van Gogh's film Submission which led to his murder by an Islamic extremist in Amsterdam, alongside historical pieces, manuscripts, and film stills, this book provides an intriguing vantage point from which to view the interrelations between religion, politics and the visual arts. The recent, rapidly spreading crisis spawned by the Danish cartoons depicting the prophet Mohammed is testament to the power that religious iconoclasm still holds in an increasingly secularised world. Current, hotly debated controversies surrounding freedom of expression and religious tolerance are discussed in detail with an appendix of related articles and commentary. A beautifully illustrated publication, with contributions ranging across artistic media--from painting and sculpture to photography and film. This book is a thoroughly researched and timely consideration of art and its relationship to authority and is essential reading for anyone interested in the debates surrounding the current culture wars, as well as art history in general.

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