Sunday, May 16, 2010

Ascencion Art?

Someone asked about yesterday's Ascension art - so here goes: Disclaimer:  Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.  These comments are only my reactions.  The artwork on the right (which fills the "too renaissancey" slot) shows a "ripped" Jesus with a perfectly sculpted six-pack - which I'm assuming he worked on when he wasn't teaching, praying, and healing?  As for the completely clothed apostles, 6 are actually watching him ascend while the other 6 are looking everywhere but up.  I guess they were used to such sights.

Which brings us to the "too clip artsy" artwork - a flowing Jesus who seems to have lost an eye in the ascension process....oops...at least he's clothed....:)

And for the "too creepy" category...how does this one strike you?  This darkness doesn't exactly exude a sense of warmth...know what I mean?  But again, as stated in the disclaimer: beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

Now for the "too cutesy" category- (as in cutesy feet sticking out from the grey clouds) - which I snitched from here.  This scene appears to be attached to a cross of some sort and again, most of the apostles aren't watching the ascension. What could be distracting them? 

And there you have it!  Human beings interpreting Jesus in so many ways.  We are a wild and crazy crew - made in the image of a God who gave us each such uniqueness.  Gotta love that!   
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7 comments:

  1. Blue Eyed EnnisMay 16, 2010 at 11:31 AM

    Hi Roberta. Nice post. I had the same problem with many of the images of the ascension and was mesmerised by the figure on the bottom right of the first image of the ascension which looks as if the person is sitting on someone elses head and is looking anywhere but at the figure of Christ ascending.
    Thanks for pointing out the six pack Jesus- I don't know how I missed that.

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  2. Margaret D. McGeeMay 16, 2010 at 2:54 PM

    Loved this post! You made me laugh out loud. Sending you thanks & blessings from my heart.

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  3. ROBERTAMay 16, 2010 at 5:43 PM

    Phil,
    The more I look at that first painting the more I understand. Those are some of the strangest feet I've ever seen! I'm going to research this one and get back to you!

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  4. ROBERTAMay 16, 2010 at 5:55 PM

    All I've learned is that the artist was the Italian painter, Garofalo, 1481-1559, and this was his depiction of the "Ascension of Christ"...

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  5. Blue Eyed EnnisMay 17, 2010 at 8:29 AM

    Thanks for looking this up - I have never heard of him but it is really odd.Perhaps it was finished in a hurry or the pasta was off!!

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  6. VeeKayeMay 17, 2010 at 2:48 PM

    Your post made me look at ascension art in a different way. I think it says something about tolerance that Jesus art can be so varied, so strange, so irreverant (those feets, those abs). Just the fact that he can be depicted and not cause riots in the streets of world capitals, you know?

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  7. ROBERTAMay 17, 2010 at 3:58 PM

    I agree with you Vicky...and today's quote on christian unity speaks to that very point.

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