Scuba Diving For Treasure In Baptismal Waters.



Christ of the Abyss

So I'm wading into the waters of a new blog. It's part Bible Blog and part Art blog... peppered with a few awkward jokes. It’s a combination of two things that a lot of people enjoy doing the least: going to Church and going to museums. That being the case I figure that most of my loyal readers will be over 80 years old and scouring the internet for something to read before they can get their early bird special at the neighborhood Denny's restaurant. 

Christianity has a long and sometimes complicated relationship with Art. For centuries the Church was the primary sponsor of art. In recent times Christians have been vocal opponents of government funding of certain art that is seen as offensive. In between these bookends Christianity has seen iconoclasm movements against images, religious and cultural booms of image making, non-Western interpretation of biblical imagery and the secularization of the art market, academy and average artist. This blog is about Christianity and Art: images that intentionally illustrate biblical themes and some non-religious ones that can illuminate the heart of a biblical passage.

That's where this wacky photo comes in. The sculpture is called Christ of the Abyss (by Italian sculptor Guido Galletti) and is one of a subgenre of sculptures that are intentionally submerged underwater. I first came across work like this a few years ago and have since discovered that there have been several artist over the years who display their art in this extremely site specific manner. This image is analogous to Christian art as a whole... and even the Gospel itself. It is a treasure that is submerged in the deep. It is easy to pass it by in our pursuit of adventure and other things of interest. On first inspection it appears ancient in its relevance. Upon further inspection one will find that, though it is aged, it is of as much relevance today than it ever was. To both the Believer and the Unbeliever, it is a pearl of great price. 

So I plan to be eclectic in my selection. Of course I will cover the great paintings and sculptures of the glory days of Christendom, but I will also cover Non-Western, Indigenous, Contemporary, Modern, Architecture, Design, Street Art, Illustration  and other aesthetic movements that run the gamut. The overall focus in my aesthetic choices will be guided by the idea of art as visual communication. because Jesus himself was extremely visual in his communication. Christ was truly a master storyteller who used his listener's imagination to illustrate the abstract concepts of the kingdom of God

Though I may have a few deviations (due to holidays, programming changes and just waking up late and forgetting to post) the schedule of the blog will proceed as follows:

Monday: Old Testament Reading & related Art image

Wednesday: Psalms Reading, related Art image, and related music (excluding Pat Boone and Gucci Mane)

Friday: New Testament, Epistle Reading & related image

Sunday: Gospel Reading & related image with a long and drawn out reflection on both

...And with that warning shout, I'm diving in!