Banksy unveils church abuse work
CARDINAL SIN
Street artist Banksy has installed a vandalised sculpture of a priest in a gallery in Liverpool.
Cardinal Sin is a bust with its face sawn off and replaced by blank tiles, designed as a response to the child abuse scandal in the Catholic church.
In a statement, Banksy said: "I'm never sure who deserves to be put on a pedestal or crushed under one."
The sculpture was unveiled at the Walker Art Gallery, where it will sit alongside 17th Century religious art. The bathroom tiles have been put in place of the priest's face to create a pixelated effect. The gallery said the work "is believed to be a comment on the abuse scandal in the church and its subsequent cover-up".
Cardinal Sin is now in a room with an altarpiece painted for the Archbishop of Seville by the Spanish artist Murillo in 1673 and Rubens' painting The Virgin and Child with St Elizabeth and the Child Baptist.
"I love everything about the Walker Gallery - the Old Masters, the contemporary art, the rude girl in the cafe and when I found out Mr Walker built it with beer money it became my favourite gallery," said Banksy.
"The statue? I guess you could call it a Christmas present. At this time of year it's easy to forget the true meaning of Christianity - the lies, the corruption, the abuse.
Source BBC
