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turningsteel t1_jd6bdnd wrote

Reply to comment by Riff316 in The Face of Terror, Steffen Hartmann, digital, 2022 by CrapDepot

I think it’s that you can’t detach your view of the art from your political stance.

Most people dislike Putin I think, but the fact that the artist can’t express his vision (portraying Putin as lean, determined, and frankly terrifying) without you criticizing because he doesn’t look like your perception of Putin as weak or impotent (I presume?)— that’s what is getting the downvotes.

I mean, he is portrayed as a ghoul here basically, it’s in no way flattering.

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Riff316 t1_jd6cao3 wrote

Even in your commentary there’s political context. What makes him seem determined and terrifying? His shirtless striding and horse riding skills or his determined and terrifying acts against his own people and those in Ukraine. To say that a painting depicting Putin as a monstrous figure in the year 2023 is NOT political is just boring and somehow pedantic. Yes not all art is political all the time, but a painting of a zombified Putin set against an apocalyptic landscape released during a war he started is not political? Really?

Also, saying Putin is flattered here is clearly sarcasm. The man has puncture wounds in his chest. Does we really always need the /s?

I was trying to say that real life Putin looks gross and use something like litotes or hyperbole to ironically say that he looks good here. Do you honestly think any rational human would look at this art and go, “Dang! He looks great!”? It’s an insult. The man, like every other authoritarian, is obsessed with his appearance. It brings a modicum of joy to know that he would be even a little annoyed by comments about his looks.

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