At a glance or from a distance, this David Nordahl oil painting commissioned by Michael Jackson appears innocent enough, but upon closer inspection, the “Study for Field of Dreams” reveals some subtle nightmares. It depicts the King of Pop as a sort of pied piper surrounded by cavorting children dancing, playing, and pulling up skirts? Wait, what? The close-ups also reveal a flirtatious looking MaCaulay Culkin carrying a little girl among some other sinister imagery. Click through the gallery after the jump that will likely end all speculation as to whether Michael Jackson was a child molester or not.
Photos by Paul Scheer
One of the curious things about art interpretation is that it often reveals what's on the observer's mind rather than the artist's mind or the mind of the subject matter. You should think about that.
@ DocuMaker
I couldnt have said it better myself
I agree with DocuMaker. People CHOOSE to see what they want to see. If they choose to see a pedophile, there is nothing anyone else can do to change their mind. I see a father, a brother, a son, an uncle, a cousin, someone who was loved and will be greatly missed by many. There is NOTHING in the world that can change my mind. May your soul rest in peace MJ!
CROSE
I'm with the others Bucky, I think your seeing what you want to see, not what's really there. Your "examples" only make me wonder about you.
i dont see anything that makes him a child molester…if you want to believe so badly that he is, then that is how you will see the picture…he has passed, so let him be…
You don't see a child molester in MJ? Check out the Nordahl painting in this video. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m7RDCDLLIm8
Michael was child-like himself. He would never hurt a child – he tried desperately to make them happy. He trusted children because he felt they were the only honest ones – why would he betray that honesty? People need to stop thinking the worst of him because he was "different"….and respect his memory. I miss him terribly
I totally agree with ALL of the above comments. This is a perfect example of how the media tries to twist our perception of something. Why can't you see a painting for what it is? Michael wanted a painting of himself running through the grass with children because he loved them so much! This is a beautiful symbol of the love and child-like qualities that were in his heart…this is the way the bible teaches us to be, and he often referred to the bible as inspiration.
It should mean something to the author that NOT ONE person who has commented agrees with the analysis of this painting. You must be going by Freudian Theory…
Psychoanalysis is not an exact science, it is full of unproven THEORIES and unfinished research. Just because my little girl drew a tree with apples on it this morning does not mean she has touched a man's genitals. She simply wanted to draw a TREE! Freud was the weirdo, NOT Michael.
He gave to charity and cared for children. He would have rather died than to harm a child or see one suffer. When he saw the suffering of children, and people in general in other countries, he didn't just send money. HE WENT THERE and visited with these impoverished children and gave them hugs and kisses and presents. Did the US broadcast it? NO!!! But Europe did, which is one of the reasons the public opinion of Michael is so distorted in this country.
I love my country but I sometimes believe that the media are given TOO much freedom that they print lies and exaggerations that hurt people's lives. That should be STOPPED! Aside from the scandals that seemed to follow Michael like flies on s***, Michael was one of the purest and sweetest men who have ever blessed us with his presence. I pray that someday, everyone will see him for who he really was instead of what the media FALSELY portrayed him as.
The painting reveals Michael's inner-beauty and his child-like spirit. There's absolutely no hidden meanings to the details you pointed out, they simply show kids being kids. Your interpretation of these details is dodgy….Michael thought differently and to what extent! As a result, he was one of the biggest humanitarians in history. The children in the picture exist, they're not fictional and they have lots of funny stories to tell about their dear friend Michael. Did you ever see how he communicates with kids and how they respond? That should teach you something. The man was amazing.
Painstaking details, yes this painting does contain them, it was a vision shared by Michael Jackson and artist David Nordahl, it's such a shame that you can't see that vision for what it is (especially when pretty much everyone who's read your words can). David Nordahl's paintings are beautiful and say a lot about Michael's love and spirit, I'm so glad they exist. The cries will get louder and louder until the truth comes out – this man was wronged by the media, by society at large and treated as if he was less than human, its disgusting what he had to endure. Please do a little research because the correct information is out there. You could start here: http://charlesthomsonjournalist.blogspot.com/ this article contains FACTS about the Chandler case, and the media bias, please educate yourself.
i am amazed that still in death people read all sorts of things into an artists fantasy and humourous style of painting. Michael was like the Pied Piper children loved him as he loved and embraced them. He was a brilliant father. What sort of mind does the writer have????
IT IS A BEAUTIFUL IMAGE-MUCH LIKE THOSE IN THE JEHOVAHS WITNESS BOOKLETS. MJ was once a jehovahs witness and perhaps the images influenced him.
@DocuMaker: well said!
If you take your mind out of the gutter, you might learn a thing or two from a basic Art Appreciation course. Or maybe just watch how kids play on a playground, at recess, in daycare. Yes, little kids really do those things, and unless you hatched or raised in a bubble, you and your friends did stuff like that when you were little kids.
You should also watch the video interview of David Nordahl:
Artist Recalls Frienship With Michael Jackson
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xzVGABBFH-s
A journalism class might help you, too.
Bucko Torco describes exactly what HE SEES in the painting; now, that could mean: 1. HE is the pervert, because these thoughts are made up in his mind; 2. he sees what he WANTS to see because of all the media-attention!
I for one see nothing strange: one boy carrying a little girl, is that bad for Michael?? A young boy lifting up a little girl's skirt: it is exactly what children do, and why the other ones are looking on laughing!
No, Michael was NOT a child molester but a child-lover in the proper meaning of the word. And a great humanitarian, too!! It's time we all started to 'TRY and save the world' rather than leaving it up to a few people and then ridiculing them! Make your own effort and start by caring for others, maybe, just maybe we will, one day, have a planet without war?? But, as long as people like Bucko seem to have thoughts like he has, in their minds, I doubt if there ever will be global peace..
Wish we had a few million Michael Jackson's running around, trying to 'save the world'. Maybe the impact would be greater then…
Miss Michael!!! Who's loving the planet now????
I agree that it's what the painter thought of Michael,rather than Michael revealing he was into kids in the wrong way. You really should think about that. He was in no way,into children in any inappropriate way. Just think about the people who wanted to destroy this wonderful,loving,and very caring man,before you believe anything negative about him.They lied their full heads off because he was such a natural target with a gang of cash that they all wanted and had forgotten that they could have that too,if they just worked just as hard for it,that Michael did every day of his life for 45 years.
Jordy has come forward and cleared Michael's name,and his father,the instigator in all of it,has committed suicide over it,so think about that too,ok?
I wonder about people sometimes. Mr. Nordahl's paintings are beautiful and masterfully done. There is nothing remotely indicating that MJ was a child molester. That you see that shows that there is something in your interpretation that is off. MJ is gone but not forgotten. His was a beautiful soul and he is sorely missed.
The paintings of Michael are a work of art, by a great artist, nothing more
to try and find a hidden meaning behind the art piece is a sad thing, if you try to find
uglyness in a piece of art then you will, however I personaly enjoy the art pieces that Michael had done they were all done in good taste, take them at face value and just enjoy
them instead of trying to make them out to be ugly…….
"Bucky Turco", why do you see "nightmares" in that painting? I see happy children playing, myself. I think it's a very nicely done painting. Why do you seem to think it shows that Michael Jackson was a "child molester"? Where in that painting do you see Michael Jackson molesting children? I don't see anything like that. Frankly, I think you're basing your view of Michael Jackson on all the crud you've seen in the media. Do you really think that's a good idea? I don't.
One time I witnessed the aftermath of a automobile accident: the burning remains of a pickup truck, upside down in the lane of a freeway, with two dead bodies lying on the ground next to it. The next day, the news reported "Two persons died when their late model sedan crashed into the center divider". Sedan? Wait… it was a pickup! That was when I began to realize: WHEN THE MEDIA DON'T KNOW THE FACTS, THEY MAKE THINGS UP.
And when the media smells blood, they make things up still more. Sensationalism is all that counts to them. If they can create a huge, sensational scandal about a celebrity, they will do so, even if it destroys that celebrity's life. (24/7 coverage of Tiger Woods' alleged mistresses, anyone?) Truth is not a thing the mass-market media cares about at all. If they can increase their ratings by driving innocent people to suicide with their lies, they will do so. Acquiring more ca$h is all that matters to them.
In the case of Michael Jackson, the Media saw him as ripe for exploitation. Ready-made sensationalism. Nearly everything they ever wrote about him was distortion (at best) or outright lies (at worst). It's not so much that they hated him (though some did); it's just that they thought of him as being "fair game".
So why would anyone believe anything they hear about Michael Jackson in the media? Does anyone still believe these jerks tell the truth? I don't think so. Perhaps people are just desperate for engrossing fantasy? Well, they got it. The character "Michael Jackson The Evil Pedophile Child Molester Monster" was a fictitious boogieman that titillated peoples' hunger for sensationalism, much like Freddy Kruger from "Nightmare On Elm Street" or Jason from "Friday The Thirteenth". But like those two characters, this version of Michael Jackson never existed.
As for the real Michael Jackson, did he every commit any wrongdoings? I don't know. And neither do you! But in this country, people are innocent until proven guilty. And though Michael was accused-of and tried-for child molestation, the jury looked at the prosecution's weak evidence and said "absolutely NOT guilty". So why are some people still talking about him like he was a criminal? This is the USA, remember? We have The Bill of Rights in this country, remember? Innocent until proven guilty, remember? In short, if Michael Jackson ever committed any crimes, you and I don't know about it, and we never will.
So lets base our mental picture of this man on the things we DO know: he loved children, he helped millions of people, and he was a great musician and dancer and performer and artist and philanthropist. Personally I find his untimely death sad, and I miss him, and I wonder what he could have achieved if he had gone on living a few more decades.
I agree people see what their own twisted minds see. Just like those that spent millions of tax payers dollars trying to fabricate a case when there was none to begin with. Sad part is Tom Snnedon was so busy trying to make a name for himself he lost track of who the real crimals were. Last I recall EXTORTION is illegal in the the USA
Those that can’t see MJ’s pure innocent love for children and nothing more or less than that are the ones that need to take a look in the mirror, why does your mind “go there”
anyway? Especially after a NOT GUILTY verdict on ALL not some but all counts.
Art criticism at its finest. Get a new hobby.
Norman Rockwell must have given you nightmares too, because those are exactly the kinds of images (kids sharing ice cream cones, impish boys pulling up skirts) that he put in his paintings.
Vicious ugly people see vicious ugly things when they look in the mirror. Beautiful innocent people see beauty and innocence. Michael Jackson IS the mirror.