Rihanna’s gruesome story inspired morning headlines, anger and sympathy from across borders, sexes and age groups. And now it’s inspiring Pop Art. Shocked?

Wait there’s more.

Los Angeles based Pop Artist Sham Ibrahim has created an Andy Warhol-like portrait of Rihanna, based on the now infamous police photo showing the singer bruised and bloodied. The 24-inch by 36-inch piece was made by transferring custom colorised blow-ups of digital tracings of the police picture onto canvas and it features in the World of Wonder Storefront Gallery in L.A.

His intention however is NOT to raise awareness about or show support against, let’s say, Domestic Violence. Instead his reasons for creating this revolting work of art are insensitive, brutally superficial and quite simple. He states, “I thought the bruises in the police photo were interesting shapes to draw. And it was cool to colour them pink and blue. Those are two of my favourite colours.”

…Uh huh…

Taken aback by all the questions, a nonplussed Ibrahim clarified for the records: “There is no message to any of my art. It’s meant to look cool hanging on your wall and that’s it! I’m not into deep meanings.”

So. Just what is this world coming to? Disturbing as it sounds, trauma has a strange appeal. As a society, we are inherently voyeuristic. A case in point is Princess Di, who was hounded to death by the French Paparazzi. Granted Rihanna’s bruised picture got leaked somehow. But why did the media have to flash it all over the place? Where does responsible journalism begin and where does it end? Rihanna’s battered face is meant to inspire a raging sense of injustice. But sadly enough, the picture has been so exploited that it holds no meaning beyond the “pink and blue” anymore.

Have we now reached a point in time, where we have no qualms in aestheticising pain and suffering… where bruises are for sale?

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