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Culture: Art: Self-referential
Mona Lisa Trumpet Cocks   (+5, -1)  [vote for, against]
Take an existing piece of art, and transform it in a trivial way

I love re-imagining other people's art- works, but in trivially altered scenarios.

Wouldn't it be great if you took the Mona-Lisa and glued a trumpet to her face, and maybe drew a cock on her forehead?

It would really change how people thought about art, and would probably be culturally relevant, you know, a bit like Banksy.

You could harness the energy generated by people's righteous indignation and power one of those nodding cats you see in Chinese takeaways.
-- Zeuxis, Oct 23 2013

Zeuxis http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zeuxis
[normzone, Oct 23 2013]

Mona w/ moustache http://a.images.bli...saVandalized703.jpg
[xandram, Oct 23 2013]

The Rape of Creativity http://www.theguard...res.turnerprize2003
Baked I would say (apart from the lack of cocks and trumpets and the Mona Lisa) [pocmloc, Oct 23 2013]

Mustache Fiend! http://www.dailymot...les-1946_shortfilms
He lives here on the halfbakery, too. [RayfordSteele, Oct 24 2013]

Maneki-neko : A nodding cat http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maneki-neko
[zen_tom, Oct 25 2013]

Mona Lisa Trumpet Cocks http://i40.tinypic.com/fy304p.jpg
Thanks for the challenge - here it is! [Zeuxis, Nov 20 2013]

Welcome to the Halfbakery, [Zeuxis].

This makes me think of one of the scenarios in the sci-fi novel "Hole in the Zero" and also of Andy Warhol. You might not be the first one to go down this road.
-- normzone, Oct 23 2013


A year or two ago a work of art called "The Spear" was vandalized over here. Sold for more than the asking price for the original IIRC.
-- 4whom, Oct 23 2013


[+] for the last paragraph, because befor that I was indeed righteously indignant, especially over // a bit like Banksy //. Until I got the TIC point you could have run a plasma cutter on my righteous indignation.
-- Alterother, Oct 23 2013


How is this any different than drawing moustaches on people's photos? I use an eraser to erase eyeballs from magazine photos! So, in a way I do like the idea, but do not see it as a hb invention.
-- xandram, Oct 23 2013


I wonder.

Given a few tens of laser watts, a small targeting system, and some software, it would probably be possible to etch an amusing and satirical penis* onto the forehead of the Mona Lisa. In fact, given that that sort of laser power is now quite readily available and easily portable, I'm surprised nobody has yet vandalized artworks in this way.

*you'd have to be careful it didn't end up looking like just a moronic and plebeian penis; it's all in the angles.
-- MaxwellBuchanan, Oct 23 2013


Really here the question is of degree, and sophomoricism. If you artfully altered the colors on the Mona Lisa, would that count? Is the cock too much after the trumpet? Should one lard it on liberally with moustaches etc? Is trivial alterment only what one can accomplish in 8 seconds with a magic marker?

To arouse maximal publicity, one should claim to be improving these pictures.
-- bungston, Oct 23 2013


// Is the cock too much after the trumpet?// [marked-for-tagline]
-- theircompetitor, Oct 23 2013


// in a way I do like the idea, but do not see it as a hb invention. //

I'm with you on that, [xandra], but he's* new and he's not half cheeky. Let's keep him.

* I assume male gender from historical context. Oh, look, [norm]'z given us a link.
-- Alterother, Oct 23 2013


At the high risk of self-petarding, I think gluing a trumpet on sortof speaks for itself: the cock is just a reiteration.

Of course, adhering to the "Banksy" style, a pre-existing face trumpet does require a cock.

To sum up, in the words of the two gentlemen strolling past the north face of the Royal Ontario Museum:

"Well, that looks pretty fucking stupid"
"No shit".
-- FlyingToaster, Oct 23 2013


I had a unique experience last week.

For the first time in my life I found myself thinking "I wish I'd been in Manhattan yesterday."
-- Alterother, Oct 23 2013


[marked-for-deletion] rant.

Welcome to the Halfbakery, but try to post something worthwhile next time that indicates at least a degree of original thought. Where is Hippo these days? Wake up!
-- xenzag, Oct 23 2013


Yay! Thankyou everybody for a warm welcome. I love reading all the artistic ideas on the halfbakery - they're always really inspirational. Especially [xenzag] - you've got a real gift for coming up with unusual and interesting twists on existing artworks :) Sorry you don't like this one though, I will try a bit harder for the next one :(
-- Zeuxis, Oct 24 2013


Have a go at some toasters..... try and include hamsters, planetary movements, radioactive yellow cake, and bed bugs and see how you get on......
-- xenzag, Oct 24 2013


Only the last paragraph of the idea qualifies if the actual mechanism for harnessing the power of righteous indignation, like a pen on a tether connected to a complaints box, and the tether powers a recoil motor. saved your idea, thank me later.
-- rcarty, Oct 24 2013


//"I wish I'd been in Manhattan yesterday."// Why ?
-- FlyingToaster, Oct 24 2013


As part of his month-long NY trip, Banksy set up a kiosk in Central Park selling original pieces for $60 each. Typical of cynical New Yorkers, everyone assumed they were fakes and only four sold (two of them to a woman who didn't even know what they were but wanted something to adorn the bare walls in her new apartment). I would have emptied my wallet.
-- Alterother, Oct 25 2013


Standards on HB at a low ebb..... time for a break.
-- xenzag, Oct 25 2013


I'll save your seat.
-- Alterother, Oct 25 2013


[Zeuxis], this idea is a prime candidate for experimental testing.

Download an image of the Mona Lisa, add the proposed trumpet and penis, and then post a link to the image here. Then we can all take a look and see if it makes the intended statement.

Go to it!
-- MaxwellBuchanan, Oct 25 2013


Hmm - not bad. It has the raw subterfuge implicit in postmodernist dadaism, without the self-conscious referentialism. But it needs a bigger cock.
-- MaxwellBuchanan, Nov 20 2013


That was considerably more trumpet and less cock than expected... bun, though the idea itself is derivative of the well established practise of idiotic icon bashing.
-- FlyingToaster, Nov 21 2013



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