A "Pro-Life" Monument: Britney Spears

[ Monument to Pro-Life - Artist Daniel Edwards’ sculpture of exemplary
mother, Britney Spears. ]

A controversial nude sculpture of Pop icon, Britney Spears, shown giving birth to her firstborn son, is raising eyebrows - and hackles. Created by artist Daniel Edwards, Monument to Pro-Life: The Birth of Sean Preston, is a life-sized sculpture cast in resin that depicts a sultry but pregnant Spears crouching on a bear skin rug - with the baby’s head popping out of her birth canal. Edwards never met the Pop idol, and so used photos of the star to fashion her likeness. When an Associated Press reporter asked about the statue of Spears, the artist said, "I admire her. This is an idealized figure. Everyone is coming at me with anger and venom, but I depicted her as she has depicted herself - seductively. Suddenly, she’s a mom." When asked if he was anti-abortion, Edwards gave a disingenuous answer, "I’m not saying that I am. I wouldn’t march with either pro-life or pro-choice advocates. This is not meant to be political."

Not meant to be political? That’s about as mendacious a rejoinder anyone could hope to muster. Edwards has purposefully entered the most hotly contested political battle with a sculpture he titles, Monument to Pro-Life, and then sits back to feign neutrality.

Edwards’ statue goes on display for two weeks at Capla Kesting Fine Art in Brooklyn New York starting this April 7th, and the gallery’s website is a bit more forthcoming concerning politics. The statue will be placed next to a display case filled with "Pro-Life" materials provided by the Manhattan Right To Life Committee (certainly no politics there.) Lincoln Capla, the gallery co-director, states on the website, "A superstar at Britney’s young age having a child is rare in today’s celebrity culture. This dedication honors Britney for the rarity of her choice and bravery of her decision." Finally, artist Daniel Edwards chimes in with, "Britney provides inspiration for those struggling with the right choice. She was number one with Google last year, with good reason - people are inspired by the beauty of a pregnant woman."

I never liked Britney Spears and the legions of half-naked, talent less, twittering, techno twits who pass for entertainers in our counterfeit culture. I like those who create, mold, and peddle them even less - but to have Spears held up as an "ideal" model for young women just because she’s a mother is beyond the pale. The Nazis issued special medals to women who were "exemplary models of motherhood." The Ehrenkreuz der Deutschen Mutter - or Cross of Honour of the German Mother, was not only issued to mothers devoted to fascist ideals, it was awarded to mothers in bronze, silver and gold according to how many children were birthed for the reich (eight or more children made one eligible for the gold.)

Don’t misunderstand me, I’m making absolutely no comparisons between Daniel Edwards and the right-wing idealization of motherhood as practiced by the Nazis, after all, this subject - "is not meant to be political."