RELIGIOUS ART | NEWS OF WEEK

GOD'S ART MUSEUMS
By TAHLIB

"Feet First" (1990) by Martin Kippenberger at MoMA

"Robo-priest" delivered the Easter homily in French today at Saint Vincent de Paul Church. I nicknamed him that because of his robot-like efficiency during weekday noon masses, but today he was different. Backed by an all Haitian choir, he was on fire before the packed congregation of pasty Parisian-born New Yorkers dressed in white. It was a beautful yet broken experience for me. Monday - Friday, this is my home church but on this Easter Sunday, I was an alien. Yesterday, at MOMA I saw Martin Kippenberger's retrospective, and his crucified frog is my image for Easter 2009. Everyday in NYC, wonder surrounds me but I remain an alien.

As a Christian, this holyweek is the most special week of my year:

• Good Friday: "Crucified Frog" by Martin Kippenberg [link]
• Easter 2009: St. Vincent de Paul, Chelsea, NYC [link]

To follow my holyweek journey, I'll be updating future Easter posts with links in the years ahead. Whether Buddhist, Christian, Hindu, Muslim, Jew or non-denominational, we are all members of a giant spiritual family, united in the search for human meaning through art from the religious imagination. For us, it's more than Art. It's also Religion.

Facade of Church

While the facade is elegantly preserved, it is the opulent interior of the 1869 structure, as refined in 1939 by architect Anthony H. Depace that most takes your breath away. There are grandiose marble columns, intricate mosaics, murals and colorful stained glass which effectively combine to produce a kind of super spiritual atmosphere found in the greatest of Christian churches. St. Vincent de Paul is a masterpiece but one that is in a state of decay, and needs a resurrection for the modern day.

Interior of the church

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"Christ" by Adi Nes at the The Armory | NYC

ALPHA OMEGA ARTS
By TAHLIB

NEW YORK - Adi Nes is an Israeli gay artist whose works, like this one entitled, "Christ" go for $40K+ at the Jack Shainman Gallery in New York City.

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Crucified Frog by Martin Kippenberg at MoMA for Good Friday

ALPHA OMEGA ARTS

By TAHLIB

"Feet First" (1990) by Martin Kippenberger at MoMA

"Feet First" (1990) by Martin Kippenberger is a four foot high wooden sculpture of a crucified frog in loincloth, brandishing a mug of beer and an egg. The Pope called it "blasphemous." The exhibition, "Martin Kippenberger: The Problem Perspective" at the Museum of Modern Art embraces the full range of his output and while the curators don't make the claim that it is comprehensive, this exhibition introduced me to one of the most inventive and influential bodies of artwork of the late twentieth century. It begins however with this message: "Everything in moderation," counseled Aristotle. Martin Kippenberger never got this message, as a good friend pointed out after the artist's death at age forty-four in 1997. The exhibit ends on May 11, 2009.

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All Souls Unitarian | NYC

ALPHA OMEGA ARTS
By TAHLIB


NEW YORK---Built in 1932, All Souls - a Unitarian Universalist Congregation in Manhattan has "zero" religious imagery in this elegant space in pastel colors with six large chandeliers and five magnificent clear glass windows. It is located at 1157 Lexington Ave on the Upper East side.

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There's "Reel Religion" in NYC at the Museum of Biblical Art

ALPHA OMEGA ARTS
By TAHLIB

NEW YORK---Last night, I attended a preview opening of "Reel Religion" (2009) a retrospective exhibition on films inspired by the bible (1898-2006) at the Museum of Biblical Art. AKA MoBIA, the contemporary museum is located on the Upper West Side and is unlike any other that I've ever imagined. It is the ultimate museum exploring the intersections of religious art with religious life. While I am still thrilled to have choosen living on the Upper East Side with its proximity of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, MoBIA could make me rethink that choice in the future. The exhibition originated at the Saint Louis Museum of Contemporary Religious Art in 2007, another of God's Art Museums that I never heard about but hope to visit one day soon.

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"Reel Religion" at Museum of Biblical Art in Manhattan (Video)

ALPHA OMEGA ARTS
By TAHLIB


 

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New Year's Resolution, January 1, 2009

ALPHA OMEGA ARTS
By Ernest @DisneyBritton

My resolution is to leave NYC, and to go home to be with Greg and my family. I hate being here. [Resolutions!]

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