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The Open Debate

The Open Debate, by Philip Bouchard, 1997-8

Bess writes: Given the tempestuous political and religious debates this week over MPs voting on the Human Embryology and Fertilisation Bill, it seems only fitting that this striking painting, entitled The Open Debate is now hanging in the Houses of Parliament, at Portcullis House. Painted at Downside School in Somerset by the Bath-based artist Philip Bouchard, and shortlisted for the Not the Turner Prize exhibition in 2003, the picture, as you can see, depicts a bishop and a knight in conversation on the edge of a chess board facing the Palace of Westminster. The idea being, obviously, that politics is a like an eternal game of chess. True buffs will recognise the position of the pieces as being the famous "Saavedra" end game strategy. Bouchard says: "the Bishop symbolises the Church and spiritual values and the Knight, the State and temporal values." Whether Church and State have reached a satisfactory accommodation of these two, frequently conflicting sets of values over the past 48 hours is perhaps open to debate...

To see more examples of Bouchard's work visit http://www.bouchardpaintings.com 

Jesus as Osama and Mary in a Burka - is this art or an abomination?

The Blake Prize for religious art has been won by a rather mild depiction of the Stations of the Cross. But it is these images of Mary in a Burka and Jesus morphing into Osama Bin Laden which have caused the storm. What do you think of them?