"L.A.-based pop artist Sham Ibrahim's new portrait of the "Disturbia" hit maker is based on the now infamous police photo showing the singer bruised and bloodied. But Sham's intent is not to raise awareness about, let's say, domestic violence. Instead, his reasons for creating the Andy Warhol-like piece is, "I thought the bruises in the police photo were interesting shapes to draw," he says. "And it was cool to color them pink and blue. Those are two of my favorite colors." Furthermore, "There is no message to any of my art," he says. "It's meant to look cool hanging on your wall and that's it! I'm not into deep meanings." What do you think? I think this is just sick and uncalled for.
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Rihanna Police Shot is Art?
Yahoo.com and E! online just broke this story:
"L.A.-based pop artist Sham Ibrahim's new portrait of the "Disturbia" hit maker is based on the now infamous police photo showing the singer bruised and bloodied. But Sham's intent is not to raise awareness about, let's say, domestic violence. Instead, his reasons for creating the Andy Warhol-like piece is, "I thought the bruises in the police photo were interesting shapes to draw," he says. "And it was cool to color them pink and blue. Those are two of my favorite colors." Furthermore, "There is no message to any of my art," he says. "It's meant to look cool hanging on your wall and that's it! I'm not into deep meanings." What do you think? I think this is just sick and uncalled for.
"L.A.-based pop artist Sham Ibrahim's new portrait of the "Disturbia" hit maker is based on the now infamous police photo showing the singer bruised and bloodied. But Sham's intent is not to raise awareness about, let's say, domestic violence. Instead, his reasons for creating the Andy Warhol-like piece is, "I thought the bruises in the police photo were interesting shapes to draw," he says. "And it was cool to color them pink and blue. Those are two of my favorite colors." Furthermore, "There is no message to any of my art," he says. "It's meant to look cool hanging on your wall and that's it! I'm not into deep meanings." What do you think? I think this is just sick and uncalled for.
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wow that is so disrespectful imo. I don't like it at all.
ReplyDeleteWTF Okay this is not funny at all. I don't like it.
ReplyDeleteYou have got to be kidding me!!! This is stupid.
ReplyDeleteWhy would he do that? This is so mean.
ReplyDeleteNot feelin' it.
ReplyDeleteWhat is wrong iwth him. SHe should sue him.
ReplyDeleteThere is something so sad in her face. The contrast and colors only make it more so. Let's hope this artist's blinders will be removed and he uses this piece (which does have a sad beauty to it) to raise awareness and help victims.
ReplyDeleteTHIS IS SOOO WRONG. HOW IS THIS ALLOWED?!?
ReplyDeleteThats just sad. Poor Rihanna, imagine if that was a picture of you're battered face and he's making painting paintings of it. Can't we just let this incident with Chris * Rihanna just slip away so Rihanna and Chris can just live there lives! Leave RiRi alone!
ReplyDeleteDid Rihanna give pemission for this person to use her image? If not, he can be in for some deep sh!t.
ReplyDeleteThis is anything but sick. But if it is sick, it's only because it's holding a mirror up to society. Warhol was all about mass production, but Sham may be closer to the truth of what's mass-produced in our society than mere Campbell's soup. Sham's comments are typically Warholian. Lost amongst the details, a lack of concern for the subject matter, process trumps product. His absence here is an invitation to your humanity. But don't be like the commenter Distrubed, who blames the messenger. Sham's vapid, "doesn't get it" approach is intentional. In four quick panels he condemns Chris Brown and all his enablers * particularly the entertainment media * for the free pass Brown gets. And Sham indicates (through mass production) that we shall certainly see this crime again...and again...and again.
ReplyDeleteI don't find it sick or sad that he did this art work! She needs to get this picture blown up and keep it on her bedroom wall and look at it everytime she thinks about going back to this BOY!
ReplyDeleteThis is America. Let everyone see the painting and let everyone see the original photo. Young women and men should see these photos. I mean the originals. While we are at it...bring out the photos of Nicole Brown Simpson almost decapitated....let them look at those also. Defenders of this crime need shock treatment!!!
ReplyDeleteit isnt sick.1 we all know its a pic of her when she was beaten but in acuality you can't tell she was she just looks sad and broken i really like this its speaks to people.there isnt anything wrong with it people should realize this happens everyday and know maybe someone will do something about it.women die everyday from domestic violence and no one cares maybe now someone will.
ReplyDeleteOMG!!! It is INDEED sick. How humiliating. What's next? T-Shirts, hand bags and beach towels????
ReplyDeleteI LIKE IT BUT NOT HIS IDEA... THIS SHOULD BE AN EXAMPLE OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AND SHOULD SHOW WOMEN AROUND THE WORLD AND HE WILL NOT GET INTO DEEP TROUBLE CAUSE THIS IS A PUBLIC PICTURE
ReplyDeleteSHE SHOULD SUE HIM FOR THIS BLATANT VIOLATION OF HER PRIVACY ESPECIALLY SINCE THE PHOTO WASN'T SUPPOSED TO BE RELEASED IN THE FIRST PLACE!! I'M APALLED THAT THIS HAS BEEN PUT ON DISPLAY AS 'FUN ARTWORK'- WAY TO MAKE THE VICTIM EVEN MORE VICTIMIZED BY WHAT HAPPENED TO HER!!
ReplyDeleteum... anybody ever heard of freedom of speech? it's the right that allows us all to mouth off on line. (like i'm doing now) live and let live, i say.
ReplyDeleteNo one wants this type of attention. Sell that to someone else. She's been trying to erase this image with one of her own--a free, young 21 year old having fun and moving on. But, no.......they want to keep her the "victim"....keep dragging her back. Like she is not a real person but an "object" for "cool art". I think artwork made out of her tattoo pic would be kinda cool, myself. But not this....there's a law trying to pass called "riahnna's law" to prevent future victims from having their pics published. And now it is OK for artwork? It just doesn't seem right.
ReplyDeleteThis is one of the most disturbing things I have ever seen. How can someone make art... ART out of someone's a$$ whoopin that is HORRIBLE!!!!!
ReplyDeleteWho in the world is gonna buy this though and admit to it? lol Is it really a living room piece? For the record, the blue-haired Rihanna is the flyest one. I'm just sayin'.
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure that it's so that the artist can make dough, folks. Really? The way some people acted about this whole thing, the way so many of you lauded Brown for beating her, said it was her fault, said she was a "s l u t" who gave him an STD and "deserved a beat down" isn't any worse. AND Rihanna's decision to go back to him after he did that to her face (there wasn't a mark on him!) is also up for display. This culture made what he did to her "All Right," and she, as an abused woman, made it "All Right" by going back. This piece of Art just shoves that mentality that so many of their "fans" had back in their faces: "YOU THINK IT IS OKAY? WELL, HERE--LOOK AT IT AS A PIECE OF ART--YOU NORMALIZED IT, FANS!"
ReplyDeleteWhere's the OUTRAGE and Oprah/Dr. Phil special for the victims of Oprah's friend BeBe Winans, Don Corneleus, Kelly Bensimon, Kenley and the rest of the abusers???? Rihanna is no more special than any other victim. And....she LOVES playing the innocent victim when in reality she is as abusive as Chris with her hitting, biting, slapping, punching, pushing and shoving. She is loving the attention.....Poor thing!!
ReplyDeleteI think this is really kind of sick. I mean she went through this horrible thing and now there are pictures of it everywhere! It must be humiliating. Not only that but to have everyone in the media (including Oprah!!!) telling her what she needs to do. What everyone should do is have some freaking respect for her AND Chris and let THEM figure it all out. *****
ReplyDeleteRihanna is clearly loving the attention, she is playing up to the media, that's she's move on What a fake, she's playing Victim, when the truth is, she started the fight and Chris hit back, so as a man he takes all the blame, although Rihanna started the beef
ReplyDeleteif that's the artist's intent then maybe he's on to something. I like your interpretation of how the piece speaks to the overall culture and Brown fans, in particular. The thing is, though, there's a real person there. If she really did get back with him, and I am still finding that whole thing fishy, it speaks to someone with low self esteem. So why shove her weakness in her face? Maybe it's not money, but this artist is certainly looking for notoriety by picking such a hot-button photo, there's no doubt about that. "The shape of Rihanna's swollen nose and cracked lips were so much fun to color blue * green--I always loved those colors in grade school!" C'mon. Dude knows he's after that fame! I can already tell that this artwork is going to be big.
ReplyDeleteThat is really, really sick. I'll be sure to note that name and never, ever buy any of his work. How offensive!!
ReplyDeleteI think this work is an apt metaphor for how Rihanna's been treated throughout this whole ordeal--She's just an object to project everyone's emotions onto. An image on the wall. The Chris Brown fan clubbers blame her and think she's played the victim to make him look bad. Then there's the DV activists who are mad because she doesn't seem to think of herself as a victim. They are mad that she's apparently forgiven Brown and hasn't gone to domestic abuse counseling or gone on Oprah and boohooed. Seems Rihanna's main concern is about pleasing herself. You'd think it was her life or something the way she's carried on. The nerve!
ReplyDeleteIs his art disturbing or just another log thrown in this fire that keeps flamming. TMZ is the one who first posted the photo, since then every one has since has posted this photo with out reguard of how Rihanna had felt or her families feelings. It sad to see all these media outlets who never put Rihanna or Chris Brown on their magazines before til now. And now it's a guessing game to see if she will take him back. Instead what we have is this sick parade by the media who are the real abusers and the public are the the ones with black eye and swollen jaw.....
ReplyDeleteSeriously, Sham Ibrahim is amazing. I am his * 1 fan and I hope everyone realizes that he is the **** and you need to stop hating on him for making art out of media ********* I'd rather see this on a canvas in color than on the cover of People Magazine as news.
ReplyDeleteBoo Hoo, poor Rihanna.....NOT. She's loving every minute of playing the victim. She is just as abusive as Chris and is KNOWN to be a jealous control freak. She does just as much scratching, biting, slapping and punching as any abuser. Only difference is she gets an Oprah telethon for the world to feel sorry for her.
ReplyDeleteTo all of you who think the artist is wrong for making money off of her beat up face.......Why aren't you as outraged at Oprah, Dr. Phil and the rest for pimping her out for ratings which equals money in their pockets??????? Only when it's an unknown do you have a problem. Do you really think Oprah and the rest give a **** about her???
ReplyDeleteWhere's Chris' busted lip photo? There is a level of victimization in the release of that photo, regardless of what you think of Rihana. But, I also think art is supposed to be provocative and push buttons, ask question, and this one does just that. It is what it is.
ReplyDeleteYou people crack me up. You don't know who started the fight. You weren't there. So quit assuming she was the one who started the fight. Also, she's the one that got hurt. She the one that had to go to the hospital. She is the victim here. Just wait till something happens to you, or your sister, or your daughter. Are you going to blame them, or you going to blame the one that beat them? Think about that.
ReplyDeleteThe only reason why people are blaming Rihanna is because they are loyal Chris Brown fans. If it had happened to someone close to them, i'm sure they would be singing a different tune. Don't you know the world is full of a bunch of hypocrites * judgemental folks. It's a sad world we live in when we blame the victim. That just goes to show you there's a lot of sick people in the world. I'm not saying she didn't play a role in the incident. However, the fact remains she got hurt. This hasn't been easy for Rihanna. I'm sure she's doing whatever she has to do to get passed this whole ordeal. I think people need to be more compassionate towards this poor girl. Abuse is not easy to get over. Plus, the fact remains Chris was her first real love. As far as the drawing, he had the right idea. However, I hope he got her permission to use the photo before he created it. Shows some respect.
ReplyDeleteOmg this just goes to show again that there is no limit on how low some people will go to try to make money and get there fifteen minutes of fame!I means what's will be next from this bastard,will he make a oil painting of that Chimpanzee Attack that happen February and whore it off by calling it art to!?
ReplyDeleteI went to the art show and met Sham. He was a very nice guy, although he seemed kind of intoxicated (I'm not sure what he was on), but he seemed genuine and honest. He told me he doesn't make money off his prints and the gallery takes 1/2. So, he sold the Rihanna piece for $100 and he spent $50 printing, therefore he didn't make money. So, I think that everyone on here saying he is making money off this needs to realize he's just an artist doing his part n the world and leave him alone to make his art. It's good he creates stuff that makes people discuss things, so everyone needs to stop calling him sick and wrong because he is just doing what he is supposed to do: create art!!!
ReplyDeleteThey took something that is personal and a bad memory and made it into art * I find this very offensive and disrispectful to the victem *
ReplyDeleteReally the only disturbing is some of these peoples comments!!
ReplyDeleteWanna know what's sick? What's sick is that the POLICE DEPT are the ones who took the photo, then leaked it to the media! I think Sham captures his own Pop Culture in his paintings. Also, art should make us feel emotions, which he succeeded in here.
ReplyDeleteThere's nothing wrong with this...Sham is an artist and is not endorsing violence.. what's WRONG is what Chris Brown did and the lack of laws that surround this type of violence on women. The police are sick for taking a bribe and releasing the photo. Art imitates life. Sham is not making money from that picture and in no way, shape, or form is he promoting violent acts towards women. If everyone sitting around ******** got off their ***** and took some self inventory, or maybe perhaps, donated some of their time to working for a charity or raising awareness about domestic abuse, etc....maybe someone could make a difference. But don't attack the artist. Many people paint/photograph controversial subjects. Most of you are not blaming SHAM so it's nice to see that not everyone is ignorant. GO SHAM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! GET IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteIt makes feel so bad for Rihanna. I feel like she is being used for evil. This guy should be ashamed.
ReplyDeleteso beating women is art? interesting.
ReplyDeletehell no!
ReplyDeleteThis is totally not acceptable by any means. We might as well make money off the pieces of wood left from the flood left from Katrina then. Is there no end to people corrupting others? No wonder were going to hell.
ReplyDeleteC'mon...this guy is crazy for doing that. He got attention but at what cost? Can we not go a week w/o hearing a negative thing about it.
ReplyDeletenot right.
ReplyDeleteI am confused with his reasoning...hes heartless.
ReplyDeleteOh this is toooooo much!
ReplyDelete"'There is no message to any of my art," he says. "It's meant to look cool hanging on your wall and that's it! I'm not into deep meanings.'"
ReplyDeleteIn what frame of mind does he think looking at a vulnerable, beaten woman is cool? This artist is obviously insensitive and doesn't have a clue what art is. (Art usually does have deep meaning.) Simply copying a classic style someone else (Andy Warhol) created shows an immense lack of creativity. All in all, the "art" was classless and uncalled for.
its shocking still cannot believe the artist nerve
ReplyDelete