Britney Spears "Pro-Life" Sculpture Causes Debate Over Abortion 
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by Steven Ertelt
LifeNews.com Editor
March 28, 2006
New York, NY (LifeNews.com) — A sculpture of pop icon Britney Spears is causing a firestorm of controversy as the designer says it sends a pro-life message promoting motherhood.
Abortion advocates are troubled by the statute and pro-life supporters aren’t sure they want an image of a lewd public figure representing their cause.
Connecticut artisan Daniel Edwards called his work am "image of birth" and says it is a "new take" on the pro-life perspective.
"Pro-lifers normally promote bloody images of abortion," he told AP of his work.
The life-size sculpture depicts a naked, pregnant Spears as she is about to give birth to her new baby, Sean Preston. She is crouching down on a rug and holding on to a wolf’s face as the baby’s head appears from her uterus.
The sculpture is slated to be featured at Capla Kesting Fine Art gallery in Brooklyn and will appear next to a case with pro-life materials. The exhibit, titled "Monument to Pro-Life: The Birth of Sean Preston" has already drawn over 3,000 emails from people on both sides of the abortion debate.
Gallery co-owner David Kesting told AP, "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," he added.
The Manhattan Right to Life Committee provided the materials to be on display, but its president, Jeanne Head, is distancing herself from the sculpture now that she’s seen the piece.
"At best, it’s in poor taste. At worst, it’s offensive," she told the New York Sun.
She indicated Edwards approached her about the exhibit but only said the sculpture would depict a woman giving birth. He did not provide further details.
"He did not tell me it was Britney Spears. He did not tell me it was depicting her in that strange position," Head added.
Edwards is the father of three children and his statute comes six months after Spears gave birth to Preston. He said he did not get the pop diva’s permission and used photographs of her to make the sculpture.
He told the Associated Press his goal is to create debate about a topic that "is greater than the issues presented by either pro-life and pro-choice advocates."
When AP asked him if he is pro-life, he replied, "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."
Edwards said he is a Democrat and doesn’t "judge anybody for the decision they make."
The free exhibit opens April 7 and will run for two weeks.
