ABOVE: Detail from Al Brandtner’s Patriot Act, which depicts President George W. Bush with a gun to his head on a mock stamp.

So, it turns out the government really does care about art, even the present U.S. administration, as evidenced by the presence of some friendly secret service agents at a gallery opening in Chicago this week. “Axis of Evil: The Secret History of Sin,” currently showing at the Windy City’s Columbia College, includes a piece with the pun-title Patriot Act, and depicts postage stamps with an image of George W. Bush with a gun to his head. “We need to ensure…that this is nothing more than artwork with a political statement,” deadpanned Secret Service PR wonk Tom Mazur.

Apparently a Chicago area Republican with no sense of irony narced on the seditious painting and called in the spooks. The agents took some pictures and asked for names and numbers of some of the artists participating in the show, but didn’t take anything. Curator Michael Hernandez de Luna said “It starts questioning all rights…questioning the rights of any artist who creates.”

“It seems like we’re being watched,” Hernandez concludes, seemingly forgetting why one puts on a public art show in the first place. Sweet goofiness all around, but with a chocolatey ripple of alarm, as well. Several blogs—this one and this one, for instance—have jumped all over this story, however, so democracy seems to be safe for today at least.

Art Daily: Secret Service Investigates Bush Stamp Art