L.A. Cathedral crucifix
posted by Quintero at 3:56 PM
Aug 15, 2005
About Me
- Name: Quintero
- Location: East L.A., California, United States
Fair Use Notice: This web site may contain copyrighted material the use of which may not always have been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available in our efforts to advance understanding of political, human, religious, and social issues. We believe this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use', you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.
Previous Posts
- Cardinal Mahony preaches
- Christian video games?
- Who said that?
- L.A. Masses
- A dozen questions for Monsignor Clark and Cardinal...
- Most liberal and most conservative cities in U.S.
- The wreck of the rector
- USC's Father Messenger had wedding plans
- Can I live?
- 'People of yesterday'
12 Comments:
Okay, that is really far closer than I ever wanted to get! Wow, that's truly horrific. I don't even think I've ever noticed how awful it was before because if I'm at the Cathedral I'm usually looking at the tapestries.
Care should be taken in catechizing the children at the Cathedral.
Jesus was crucified. He was not a burn victim, even though both are excruciating ways to go.
My son and daughter just pointed out that this horrific representation has a biblical foundation.
Jesus WAS beaten beyond recognition of a man...
Smart kids... I just thought it was ugly too-
Looks a bit like a chia pet.
Toparovsky constructed the basic shape of the 6'6" human form as one piece out of wax, clay, chicken wire, foam, tape and plastic tubing. He used burlap and wax on the outside surface which let the bronze casting show the texture of the burlap, allowing the representation of flayed skin.
Inspiration for the crown came from the crown of thorns, the common plant name for the Latin, euphorbia mili, which grows in the Holy Land. It is big, thick and has enormous thorns.
Before designing the crucifix the artist read the book, A Doctor on Calvary, by Dr. Pierre Barbet, a French surgeon in the early 20th century who spent fifteen years researching exactly what happened to Christ during the crucifixion. Toparovsky recalls, "It was so hard to read because crucifixion is so brutal." After having read the book, he says, "It was impossible for me not to really feel the suffering," to really understand "that I could embrace everything that was hard in my life, everything that had ever been hard in my life." This helped him "to be the biggest, most open channel for portraying Jesus that I could in my life."
Toparovsky particularly recalls the day Cardinal Roger Mahony and the Art and Furnishings Committee visited his studio to see his work in progress. "It was extraordinary really. I was quite nervous. I had done the best work I've ever done, but it could have been open for enormous criticism." When they reached the studio, Toparovsky recalls a "transcendent silence." At last, the Cardinal clasped his hands together and looked at him, then looked up and said, "God bless Simon." Toparovsky says, "It took all my strength not to pass out." The Cardinal then offered that he knew very little, truly, about art history, but he "did know his heart." The Cardinal continued, "I know that we are blessed to have a piece of art important in history in our Cathedral."
Hmm. The Cardinal has a very different type of appreciation for art than I do.
Deep fried Jesus.
or nestle krisp bar
Okay before we begin blasphemously mocking seemingly accurate depictions of Jesus's suffering let us rather pray to gain increased devotion from the deeper understanding of the agony our collective sin caused our Lord that the artist seems to be trying to lead us to.
C'mon people let's choose the objects of our satire carefully...
I freaking hate three year old child art, that people fawn over...
Well said, Skeetor.
grotesque
Post a Comment
<< Home