Sara Rahbar

New York artist Sara Rahbar incorporates the American flag into her work in ways that would send Rush Limbaugh, et al, into fits of apoplexy.

In a week when the intent of a plainly satirical New Yorker cover flew over the heads of many people, you realize how volatile and necessary the work of an artist like Rahbar's is: to shock perhaps, but in doing so also to pinpoint the truly important against the backdrop of the merely symbolic.

There's an American flag burning in the background of that Obama cover, too: of course, many people couldn't get past the mere depiction of this piece of tri-colored fabric to approach the point being made. I imagine some of these same outraged people were puzzled by the reactions of some in the Muslim community to depictions of Mohammad.



Artwork from Ehsan Jami's controversial documentary "The Life of Muhammad."

Also: "Satire takes a beating when the truth is so ridiculous," Detroit Free Press