Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

A high-school art project on Bush and Hitler (Student gets an A)
http://www.knoxstudio.com/shns/story.cfm?pk=HITLER-ART-02-08-05&cat=AN ^

Posted on 02/09/2005 10:44:05 PM PST by hipaatwo

By MARK REYNOLDS The Providence Journal February 08, 2005

PROVIDENCE, R.I. - Jeffrey Eden devised his award-winning project less than 30 minutes after his high-school art teacher asked him to express a thought or two in a three-dimensional way.

So, in the wake of last year's polarizing election and the war in Iraq, the 17-year-old built an abstract scene comparing President Bush's war policies with Adolf Hitler's pillage of Europe.

The student's diorama-like assemblage juxtaposes Hitler quotes with Bush statements, Nazi swastikas with American flags, desert-colored toy soldiers with olive plastic figures. And so on.

Eden said he's trying to point out certain similarities between the U.S.-led war in Iraq and the German blitzkrieg - without actually equating Hitler to Bush.

In this, the success of his project is debatable.

Nonetheless, it has earned the Charlestown student a silver key at the Rhode Island Scholastic Art Awards. It has also tested the contest's commitment to an overriding principle: that students should be encouraged to express their own thoughts through art.

The piece, titled "Bush/Hitler and How History Repeats Itself," triggered a complaint soon after it was displayed at a store with other award-winning entries last week.

"It's offensive to me," said Paul Lewis, a 34-year-old North Providence man.

Lewis asked that Eden's piece be removed and phoned newspapers as well as TV stations. He said he sees zero relationship between the policies of Bush and Hitler.

"It's a stretch," he said.

Lewis said the piece poorly conveys what Eden told The Providence Journal he was trying to convey because it leaves too much to interpretation. Someone might think the artist believes the president is as evil as Hitler, he said.

"I believe he should have been a lot more clear in putting those two things together," Lewis said.

The store refused to remove the exhibit, but the store did attach a disclaimer. The views of the artist do not represent the store, it said.

"We don't censor art," said store owner Hershel Alpert. "We're not in the business of censoring art."

Eden hopes to study art after he graduates from Chariho Regional High School next year. Eden said that although he supports U.S. soldiers, he believes the invasion of Iraq was unjustified.

The recent election in Iraq has not changed his views.

"At the time we invaded we did not have the justification nor the intelligence to take him (Saddam Hussein) out the way we did," he said.

Eden thinks the work is comparing Hitler and Bush - not equating them.

"I felt I was clear about what I was trying to get across," he said. "I believe those who misconstrued the artwork didn't take the time to really read into it."

His teacher, Lynn Norton, believed he got his point across. She gave him an A.


TOPICS: News/Current Events
KEYWORDS:
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-68 next last
To: Flyer

My thoughts too. Not only is it uncreative, he paints at a 3rd grade level.


41 posted on 02/10/2005 1:40:59 AM PST by boop (Testing the tagline feature!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 39 | View Replies]

To: lungfish
my kerry-shrek diorama got me a c-

Ya should've gone with the old standard: Kerry-Lurch

42 posted on 02/10/2005 1:48:16 AM PST by dread78645 (Truth is always the right answer)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 12 | View Replies]

To: hipaatwo

It absolutely frosts me that kids are so stupid that they equate Hitler with Bush. Is the distinction of killing people vs. freeing two nations beyond their grasp?


43 posted on 02/10/2005 1:51:42 AM PST by Peach
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: hipaatwo
that students should be encouraged to express their own thoughts through art.

I think Jo the nanny would have him stand in the corner - or rather his teachers.

Sure, free to express. Uh-huh. Riiiiggght. I get it.

Because you just know the same group of fanatics would say EXACTLY THE SAME if the kid decided to portray the late MLK, Jr. as a thick-lipped, bug-eyed Step-n-Fetchit character. They'd say the same. Sure they would.

Unfortunately there's only one Jo the nanny to go around. The kid's teachers might only be somewhere down on the list.

44 posted on 02/10/2005 2:07:32 AM PST by sevry
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Flyer

Oh-some Hollywierd lib will probably pay him big money to put on an exhibit. His art may stink, but there are plenty of morons out there who share his contorted worldview.


45 posted on 02/10/2005 2:11:49 AM PST by 91B (God made man, Sam Colt made men equal.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 39 | View Replies]

To: hipaatwo
the 17-year-old built an abstract scene comparing President Bush's war policies with Adolf Hitler's pillage of Europe.

How can students be rewarded for being so factually wrong?

46 posted on 02/10/2005 2:27:16 AM PST by Right_in_Virginia
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: hipaatwo

He may have gotten a A in art, But I bet he failed Gym.


47 posted on 02/10/2005 2:33:49 AM PST by BigCinBigD
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

Comment #48 Removed by Moderator

Comment #49 Removed by Moderator

To: hipaatwo

First mention of Hitler loses! He should have gotten an F.


50 posted on 02/10/2005 8:18:23 AM PST by SlowBoat407 (Speculating idiot)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: hipaatwo

What a brainwashed little punk.


51 posted on 02/10/2005 8:19:36 AM PST by Jackknife (No man is entitled to the blessings of freedom unless he be vigilant in its preservation.-MacArthur)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: hipaatwo
He is lucky that he doesn't go to my sons high school.My son would have asked him what he was thinking and how there is any likeness between the two.He also would have told him to get his facts straight.The kid got an A ,because of his leftist teacher approving of such BS.Just goes to show who runs the schools.In my house we discuss every school subject in full, so our kids will not buy the BS some teachers put out there.If he would have used religion he would have received an F.
52 posted on 02/10/2005 8:30:19 AM PST by Mrs.Nooseman
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: hipaatwo

I just spoke with the principal. He is passing on a message to the parents to get permission for me to interview him.


53 posted on 02/10/2005 8:35:14 AM PST by doug from upland (I would trust Stevie Wonder to give me a ride before I'd trust Ted Kennedy)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: doug from upland

Would you please ask him where he got the idea that Bush is like Hitler.


54 posted on 02/10/2005 8:43:00 AM PST by Mrs.Nooseman
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 53 | View Replies]

To: hipaatwo

I think a better title for the piece would have been "Leftists Are Hysterical Morons With A Limited Sense of History"


55 posted on 02/10/2005 8:46:26 AM PST by Yardstick
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Mrs.Nooseman

Yes.


56 posted on 02/10/2005 8:50:05 AM PST by doug from upland (I would trust Stevie Wonder to give me a ride before I'd trust Ted Kennedy)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 54 | View Replies]

To: hipaatwo
If only this piece of "art" had chocolate smeared on a jar of urine with a cross in it, it would qualify for NEA funding. This is so "innovative", so "cutting-edge"--it's everything that the "art community" relishes.

Too bad that the "teacher" doesn't realize that it's really trite, shallow propaganda that didn't develop the student's skills. This piece of "abstract" art done by a 17-year-old could have been a one-hour diorama by a third-grader. Once again, grade inflation is alive and well.

57 posted on 02/10/2005 8:51:37 AM PST by MHT
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: hipaatwo
Eden said that although he supports U.S. soldiers, he believes the invasion of Iraq was unjustified.

If you say that our soldiers are committing the same atrocities as the Nazis, and yet "support the troops", then you disagree with the Nuremberg trials verdicts. Given, this guy hasn't explicitly commented on the supposed war crimes of the US military, but that is inferred by his parallel to the horrific Nazi military. What silly reasoning.
58 posted on 02/10/2005 9:01:14 AM PST by Nataku X (Food for Thought: http://web2.airmail.net/scsr/)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: doug from upland
Thank you.I find it mind boggling that someone could make such a statement ,unless the person is misinformed or indoctrinated into this believe,by parents or school.
59 posted on 02/10/2005 9:36:56 AM PST by Mrs.Nooseman
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 56 | View Replies]

To: biblewonk

Ping. Don't miss this.


60 posted on 02/10/2005 10:13:27 AM PST by newgeezer (Just my opinion, of course. Your mileage may vary.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-68 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson