I live in the Italian Quarter of Dublin--a tiny stretch of Millenium Walkway that is deemed the "Italian Quarter" because of the presence of two Italian restaurants, one coffee shop with an Italian name, a former gelato shop that now sells computers, and THIS. This is a giant photo replication of DaVinci's Last Supper. DaVinci was Italian, of course.
The lady who leads the tours around the neighborhood always explains to the tourist group, "The artist/photographer [that's actually what she says aloud--pausing slightly at the slash] John Byrne took regular, ordinary people off the streets of Dublin for this painting. People just like you and me! IMAGINE!" The tour groups generally swoon about this time in the presentation.
My thoughts? A person that photographs portraits and rips off other, rather famous art, has not magically become an 'artist-slash-photographer'. They are merely a photographer. Also, it's hardly a painting--even though that's what the lady is constantly saying. I've been up close to this thing and it has not been painted. Seems to me it's a picture blown up to fit the wall. I dont think there was paint involved here at all. Mayhaps it's a photograph that was painted and then photographed again? Anyway, here it is and I am in it. Imagine, me, just an ordinary person off the street! Welcome to Italy folks.
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