A painting showing David Beckham crucified

The image, which was on display in the Johnny Cotter Gallery in Kent, shows the footballer in a long sleeved England top and a loin cloth, nailed to a cross by his hands and feet. He is wearing a crown of thorns and has the current Fifa World Cup trophy and the old Jules Rimet trophy by his feet. The artist, Mr Cotter, has revealed that police visited him and he agreed to take the painting down as there had been a complaint that it was offensive. He has since posted a message on Facebook saying that the police have said the work is not considered offensive and does not need to be removed. 'This is not an anti-Christian painting. The point of it is to question who we worship in the 21st century,' Mr Cotter told The Daily Mail. 'Is it God or is it people like David Beckham or reality TV stars who get paid millions and are looked up to.' He added that he had chosen to feature Beckham in the painting, which is titled Listen to Me and Not Them, as he is a 'modern day icon'. 'I have had complaints but they are outnumbered by the people who have admired it,' the artist continued. A spokesperson for Kent Police confirmed that two officers had visited the gallery following the complaint. Mr Cotter’s other works include a picture of Gordon Brown with his eyes and mouth covered by the words 'Hey I saved the world' on a background of a Union Jack, titled Look at Me I'm Famous in Red.

Channel: YouTube Video Length: 50s Date Found: Fri, Jan 21 2011 5:48 AM Category: News Date Produced: Fri, Jan 21 2011 4:11 AM View Count: 0