Freaky good, that is. Artist David Foote’s “Madonna and Child” series is on display starting October 27th through November 27th at St. John’s Lutheran Church in NYC.
Yes, a church! And yes, there are topless images of the Holy Mother rendered by a current artist. Unsettling? Maybe. Even to me. A raised Catholic, now all encompassing religious person. (I’m not sure what that means, either.)
But I love religious imagery. And I’m not really that unsettled. I’m thrilled by it. Foote’s work is so gorgeous, it makes me want to reenact the setting with my son. If only I could get my hair to do that (or my breasts to look that good). It would also make a most excellent tattoo.
Foote isn’t some altar boy (though who knows, he did grow up in Venezuela), he has lent his artist skills to the book Modern Fairies, Dwarves Goblins and Other Nasties written Lesley M.M. Blume. He also is down with the rock scene and directed a video for A.R.E. Weapons. Chloe Sevigny’s brother, Paul Sevigny is one of the hosts at the opening event at the church.
They don’t exactly seem the church-going type, but then again, this is a church in the West Village. And yes, it’s an active church — that hosts Lutheran, Catholic, and Jewish services … and now a provocative and beautiful art display based on religious images by Foote.
My faith in religion and inter-faith tolerance suddenly got stronger.
All of Foote’s paintings are incredible …
Aside from the Holy Mother, Foote’s gorgeous paintings include Mary Magdalene, Saint Elizabeth and the infant of Prague.
I think I want to buy a print.
A cutting edge artist at a cutting edge NYC church. Love!
What do you think of modern renditions of religious icons? How fantastic is it that a church open their doors to this?
Check out David Foote’s website for more details.
Twitter: RanaAurora
says:
You know, those are amazingly modern and NEAT.
I knew the Catholic Church was really pushing to get breastfeeding art back in churches because there was some hooplah about people thinking Jesus used a BOTTLE, and some hardcore Catholics thought that was insanely insulting — the idea that God’s son wasn’t fed the milk given to his mother BY God for babies.
I like these. Totally cool.
I know some Christian AP moms who believe that women who CAN nurse and don’t are spitting in God’s face. Honestly, I can totally understand it and think churches working it from that angle would do a lot of good.
Hmmm wow. Even if Mary couldn’t produce milk, Jesus would have been nursed by her milk sisters.
Twitter: RanaAurora
says:
That would be my guess too.
Yes! This is true. There is absolute justification for breastfeeding in the Bible. As it should be! People then wouldn’t have thought “Hmm, can I milk my cow and mix it with stuff and come up with some artificial feeding system by which to give this?” No! Breasts were created for breastfeeding. I’m glad the church is acknowledging this. I hope they even say that babies were breastfed between 2 and 4 years in Biblical times because that’s also true! I was breastfeeding my 15-month-old son at church this morning and *almost* felt weird…because he’s “too old,” right? (Never mind that my almost 3-year-old breastfeeds too.) But that’s the way it SHOULD be!