“CRAZY GOLFTIME FOR HITLER” (August 15, 2012)

Thus The Guardian today concerning a model of Hitler raising its arm in Nazi salute each time the ball passes between its legs on a “crazy” golf course at Grundy Art Gallery in Blackpool. “But shouldn’t artists have a right to offend?” asks the newspaper. Of course they should. The prank in question is by Jake and Dinos Chapman, though. As witnessed by their monumental “Hell” project in the Royal Academy of Art in London a bit more than a decade ago, the brazen brothers have no less than a predilection for Nazi salutes (“Apocalypse When?” September 23, 2000). But this is something the article fails to mention even in passing. Put squarely, the Chapmans have the right to offend, and in earnest, but their fascination with Hitler and his bloodthirsty hordes is worth examining in greater detail. As is the fascination of the media with their politically incorrect work.