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Holy Art (!) In 1989, artist Andres Serrano became an enemy of Christian leaders and political conservatives for his photograph "Piss Christ." The photograph — a murky but glowing capture of a crucifix in a jar of Serrano’s urine — started a so-called "Culture War." Despite Serrano’s reputation and the currently hostile atmosphere in New York against artists who dare to present controversial religious representations, the Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine in Manhattan is displaying two series by Serrano through the Lenten season. Since Chris Ofili’s dung-splashed "The Holy Virgin Mary" and Ren”e Cox’s "Yo Mama’s Last Supper" have heightened sensitivity about religious-based art, is St. John the Divine taking a careless walk on turbulent water? Not according to those involved with the exhibition. Rev. Jay Wegman, canon for liturgy and the arts at St. John the Divine, said art and religion form a natural — and vital — companionship. According to Wegman, the church has been showing art since the beginning of the 20th century. "We have a very holistic understanding of [art]," Wegman says.
Putting aside Serrano’s controversial history, the two-series exhibit, "World Without End," is more likely to provoke contemplation than controversy. The first part of the exhibit, "The Church," features photographic portraits of priests, monks and traditional ecclesiastical objects. Serrano took the photos while touring cathedrals in Spain, Italy and France, and the exhibit originally debuted two years after the controversy surrounding “Piss Christ.” The seven monochromatic prints - each about 4 feet high - adorn a wall to the left of the altar and are visible in the nave during services. The modern artistry of the exhibit pierces the gothic design and aura of the cathedral. The photos are described as “larger than life holy cards.” While holy cards traditionally are small renderings of saints used as devotional aids, these are a contemporary honor to those who offer their lives to religious vocation. "It’s quite appropriate that a slice of real life be exhibited in the church," says Serrano, whose work has been displayed worldwide, though never before in a church in the United States. “I realize that the Church of St. John the Divine is very progressive when it comes to contemporary art.” The second part of the series, entitled "The Morgue," features six photographs of corpses taken at an undisclosed location. They are on display in the Boniface Chapel, an enclosed section of St. John the Divine. The photos are close-up images of hands, feet and torsos of human corpses - among them a baby. The tightness of each shot makes it impossible to immediately discern that the subjects are dead. The exhibit, according to its introduction, "confronts the viewer with [death’s] suddenness, its brutality, its loneliness and its finality." Also originating in the early 90s, the series arose from Serrano’s desire to get closer than he ever had been to death. "I wanted to see death myself," says Serrano, 51, a native New Yorker who now lives in Manhattan. “First and foremost I want to see things for myself, and find other ways to see it, too." So far, religious conservatives haven’t criticized St. John the Divine, or Serrano. A look inside the ledger kept by “The Morgue” exhibit shows viewers have been mostly supportive.
While one parishioner found it "thought-provoking and captivating," another anonymous person felt it was "sad and scary." One asked, "Since when is secular art appropriate for a cathedral?" Wegman hopes that the series, funded in part by the Henry Luce Foundation, will inspire church-goers to contemplate traditional Lenten themes. "World Without End" will be on display through April 15. "Lent is a time to think about our mortality," says Wegman. "It makes us appreciate the life we’re living more deeply." Discuss Art and This isn’t the first time St. John the Divine has taken a risk for the sake of bridging art and spirituality. In the 1980s, the cathedral was criticized for displaying Edwina Sandys’ "Christa," the first depiction of the crucified Christ as female. And in 1914, it drew criticism for displaying angels sculpted by Gutzon Borglum, the visionary who carved Mt. Rushmore. It was the first time female angels were depicted in church art, and it became a headline-making scandal, according to Wegman. "I think you couldn’t have a healthy spirit without having art to inform. Art is a window to the divine," says Wegman, who has been the cathedral’s curator for the past three years. He says he focuses on contemporary artists, “especially ones that can be seen through a theological lens," and Serrano’s works fit within that idea. In the past two years, New York City has been the subject of two clashes over religious art. A third is something that Wegman doesn’t expect or fear. "Taking risks is important — religion is not a safe practice," Wegman says. "Religion should challenge as well as comfort." Wegman notes that none of his superiors objected to the exhibit, and there have been no major complaints from parishioners. "People understood the rationale behind the exhibit. People above me were fine with it. It’s also a great opportunity to show a world-class artist." Serrano’s subjects have included everyone from the homeless of New York City to the Ku Klux Klan in Georgia. Although he is Catholic, Serrano hasn’t received communion since he was 13 and goes to churches mostly for aesthetic purposes. "I go churches like they were museums," Serrano said. "This is almost like a European church — there’s lots of history and beauty there." St. John the Divine, the largest cathedral in the world, is much like a museum. With 500,000 visitors a year, it’s the fourth most popular attraction in the city. The cathedral features two 12-foot menorahs donated by New York Times publisher Adolph Ochs; a pair of ornate cloisonn” vases from Emperor Hirihito of Japan; and two gilded teak prayer chests from the King of Siam. The cathedral is the mother church of the Episcopal Diocese of New York. The church’s philosophy is similar to Catholicism, but with two major disparities: The Episcopal Church doesn’t recognize the pope, and it leaves moral decisions on issues such as abortion to the individual. Recently, there have been several debates over the use of public funding for art that some find offensive. In 1999, Mayor Rudy Giuliani froze $7.2 million of the Brooklyn Museum of Art’s public funds for displaying Ofili’s "The Holy Virgin Mary," calling the painting "offensive and disgusting." But the courts ruled that the city had violated the First Amendment, and restored the museum’s funding. In February, a 15-foot photograph called "Yo Mama’s Last Supper," which depicts the photographer, Ren”e Cox, as a nude, black Jesus, caused Giuliani to hurl a second wave of criticism at the BMA. A Catholic, Giuliani called the photo anti-Catholic, and said he would establish a task force to set decency standards for city-sponsored museums. The recent exhibits and subsequent backlash closely mirrors the federal debates over "Piss Christ." In 1989, Serrano was able reunite church and state by creating a new common enemy. The criticism was as candid as Serrano’s own art. While admitting Serrano had the right to create "filth," former New York Sen. Alphonse D’Amato tore up a reproduction of “Piss Christ” on the Senate floor while denouncing its taxpayer-funded support. In 1995, Newt Gingrich said in a Time magazine opinion piece that Serrano’s photographs were "prototypical of the cancer eating away at our civilization." "It is deeply offensive to Christians," Gingrich wrote. "Moreover, it is repugnant even to the many who may not call themselves Christian but who nonetheless have a deep, abiding faith in a higher power." At St. John the Divine, Serrano may have finally found a religious home, albeit a temporary one, for his work. Enter the Culture Clash Related Sites
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