Christ in Art

The Christian story is very fascinating, and has geat potential to open the mind. It is a story of confused emotions; the damned becoming the righteous, and society's criminal becoming its hero. Furthermore, it is a religion lacking in rules. For example, there are no rules saying that you can't drink alcohol, that you should respect your parents, that you should not have sex before marriage, should cover your hair etc. Instead, there are just stories about a man going around doing stuff, and presumably there is some kind of moral in each story.

 Perhaps Jesus' failure to leave a book was a sign that he preferred that his followers to interpret his actions for themselves, rather than simply listen and learn. If considered in terms of teaching philosophies, perhaps Jesus believed that there was no point giving an exam that students already knew the answers to. Instead, the exam tested their ability to interpret, and think for themselves.

To help me consider some of the issues of Christianity, I put some of the stories into visual forms. The end result was a series of unique images that posed questions for me.

Immaculate Conception (Gouache on paper)

In the Immaculate Conception, I wondered about the meaning of Mary, the mother of Jesus, becoming pregnant without ever having sex.

The Crucifixion of Man (Gouache on paper)

In the Crucifixion of Man, I considered the meaning of Jesus taking all the sins of humanity upon himself, and being crucified for them.

The Passion of the Christ (Gouache on paper)

In the Passion of the Christ, I wondered about the meaning of Jesus being a man. If he was a man, did he have the temptations of man? Did he have the vices of man? Did he get an erection after looking at a beautiful woman? Did he enjoy drinking? Did he lie? If not, could he ever empathise with humanity?

Jesus Hanging with Judas (Gouache on paper)

In Jesus Hanging with Judas, I considered the role of Judas in Christianity. As Christianity is a religion of forgiveness, I wondered what Jesus would say to Judas on the other side.

  Stone the Devil(Gouache on paper)

The Two Marys (Gouache on paper)

In The Two Marys, I was interested in why two very different women were given the same name. I considered the contrast between the Virgin Mary, (the mother of Jesus) and the prostitute Mary (a woman Jesus saved from a public stoning.)