Aping art? Gorilla crucifixion graces London churchAn artist has defended his installation of a lifesize gorilla on a crucifix crucifix: see cross. in a former London church, saying it is designed to highlight a threatened African species. The artwork by Paul Fryer is scarily lifelike, created using the waxwork techniques of the world-famous Madame Tussauds “Tussauds” redirects here. For other uses, see Two Swords. Madame Tussauds is a famous wax museum in London with branches in a number of major cities. It was set up by wax sculptor Marie Tussaud. museum and finished off with human hair. It is intended to highlight the plight of the endangered Western Lowland Gorillas -- Fryer said that despite the setting, the aim is to provoke debate, not to cause offence. The former Holy Trinity Church Holy Trinity Church, or variations on the name, may refer to: Churches In Australia:
tr.v. de·con·se·crat·ed, de·con·se·crat·ing, de·con·se·crates To make (a church, synagogue, or temple, for example) no longer consecrated. and is now used as a gallery space for any number of different events. Fryer acknowledged the piece, The Privilege of Dominion, was "extremely provocative and may evoke sadness and compassion as well as outrage". But he added: "It would be a pity if it came to represent what we failed to protect and the things we have lost forever as a result of that failure." The work is part of an exhibition called "The Age of the Marvellous", inspired by the 'cabinet of curiosities' which filled people with wonder in the 16th and 17th centuries with their mix of the exotic and the supernatural. Another of Fryer's pieces being shown in the crypt is a life-like black Christ depicted in an electric chair, a statement about the disproportionately large number of black people on death row in the United States United States, officially United States of America, republic (2005 est. pop. 295,734,000), 3,539,227 sq mi (9,166,598 sq km), North America. The United States is the world's third largest country in population and the fourth largest country in area. . Sixteen artists have created more than 60 works of art for the exhibition, including Turner Prize winner Keith Tyson's woman riding a walrus. 
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