Britney Spears Sculpture Causes Controversy

Britney Spears is back in the news, amidst a flurry of controversy. Artist Daniel Edwards has sculpted a depiction of Britney naked on all fours, and on a bear-skin rug, giving birth to her baby, Sean Preston Federline.

The sculpture, entitled Monument to Pro-Life: The Birth of Sean Preston will go on display at New York's Capla Kesting Art Gallery on April 7th. The piece will be part of a pro-life exhibition. The exhibit will also feature anti-abortion pieces provided by the Manhattan Right to Life Committee. The art gallery, located in Brooklyn's Williamsburg neighborhood, is said to have hired extra security for the duration of the exhibition.

As People reports "A press release from the gallery states that the art object 'celebrates the recent birth of Spears's baby boy, Sean, and applauds her decision of placing family before career.'"

Britney Spears did not pose for the sculpture, and had no contact with artist Daniel Edwards. She as neither condoned or condemned the sculpture, as Leslie Sloane Zelnik, Britney's publicist, would not respond to inquiries for comment.

40 year old Moosup, Connecticut artist Daniel Edwards has received much press coverage about Monument to Pro-Life. Edwards told People that " Everyone is coming at me with anger and venom, but I depicted her as she has depicted herself - seductively." Edwards told E Online " Whether or not it was true, it made sense to me. She's given up a career to have a child. That to me was a statement." He went on to say " I never really studied her before, never really paid attention. But she really is a model, a living Barbie doll. It's not easy to be that poised."

Edwards was asked why he focuses his art on hyped up media stories, and The Washington Post posted his reply as"You're bombarded with these stories. And there's a thread that winds back to the art. That's not a bad thing. People are interested in these topics, and it works for art as well.". Daniel Edwards' last sculpture was inspired by baseball legend Ted Williams' cryogenically frozen head, which he hoped would be re-animated in the future.

Gallery co-owner David Kesting weighed in on the situation. Quoted by The Washington Post, Kesting said " We also got calls from Tokyo, England, France. Some people are upset that Britney is being used for this subject matter. Others who are pro-life thought this was degrading to their movement. And some pro-choice people were upset that this is a pro-life monument."

Daniel Edwards was asked if he was an opponent of abortion, and Mercury News said his response was "You nailed me. I'm not saying that I am. I wouldn't march with either pro-life or pro-choice advocates. This is not meant to be political." He went on to say "I don't judge anybody for the decision they make."

Daniel Edwards, a Democrat, re-iterated that he did not have contact with Britney Spears in order to make the sculpture, but rather, he studied photographs of her for months to be able to accomplish his piece.

Britney Spears married her back-up dancer, Kevin Federline, on September 18, 2004. Despite questions over the legitimacy of the marriage, it was clarified on November 18th, 2004. Speaks took a hiatus from her career around the same time to start a family. On September 14th, 2005, Britney Spears became a mom with the birth of Sean Preston Federline.

Spears, who started her fame on The New Mickey Mouse Club, released the albums Baby, One More Time, Oops!...I Did It Again, Britney and In The Zone have sold 75 million albums worldwide on the strength of singles including "Sometimes", "Baby, One More Time", "From the Bottom of My Broken Heart", "Oops!...I Did It Again", "Lucky", "I'm a Slave 4 U", "Toxic" and "Outrageous". Britney Spears' movie appearances include Longshot, Austin Powers in Goldmember, and a starring role in Crossroads.

Kevin Federline is expected to release an album, entitled Playing With Fire, in August 2006.

[Additional Sources: People, E Online, Washington Post, Mercury News]