Alfred Hrdlicka

From Philosopedia

Alfred Hrdlicka (27 February 1928 - )

An Austrian of Czech descent, Hrdlička was born in Vienna.

Starting as a dental technician from 1943 to 1945, he studied painting until 1952 at the Akademie der bildenden Künste (Academy of Fine Arts, Vienna) under Albert Paris Gütersloh and Josef Dobrowsky. Later and until 1957, he studied sculpture under Fritz Wotruba. In 1960 he had his first exhibition in Vienna, and in 1964 he was chosen to be the Austrian representative Biennale exhibition in Venice.

A Marxist and atheist, Hrdlicka reportedly has said that the Bible is the most thrilling book he has ever read and that religious imagery forms a central core to his work.

In April 2008 he was invited to celebrate his 80th birthday by exhibiting a retrospective of his work at the gallery attached to St. Stephen's Catholic Cathedral. The work, entitled "Religion, Flesh, and Power", had received an endorsement from Christoph Schonborn, the conservative Cardinal Archbishop of Vienna.

However, one work was a sculpture that showed Jesus on a crucifix having his genitals fondled by a Roman soldier. A painting imitating The Last Supper depicted the twelve disciples in a homosexual orgy. Although Bernhard Boehler, the museum's curator, replied to complaints, "I don't see any blasphemy here. People can imagine what they want to," the works deemed offensive were removed after a few days because of complaints from around the world.

The website Gloria TV, whose catch line is "the more Catholic the better", produced a graphic video of the exhibition, condemning it for being "supported by the Church."

(Watch the 1933 28-minute movie, Lot in Sodom).

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