Out of Proportion
By Shelly Denning

October 2019

51”x15”x15”

Mixed Media (wood, paper, acrylic paint, plastic, wood stain, resin, hot glue)

 

Religion is a stain upon the world. Judgment from an omnipotent being and the threat of eternal damnation are not required for people to live a moralistic life. Religion is a business, and a scam at that. It lives only to control the population, provide an excuse for murder and destruction and fill the pockets of its leaders.

 

While all theistic and deistic religions are harmful, I focus here on Christianity. The historical existence of Jesus is a highly debated topic. Whether the man existed is not in question here. However, the bible has made him into something he was not. In this piece, I have incorporated a few visual puns to illustrate my message.

 

The hands represent those of Jesus and are covered in torn pages from the bible. Therefore, he is made up of the bible, or restated, the bible makes him up. The stake through his wrists is literally out of proportion with the hands, demonstrating how the story was blown out of proportion. Additionally, the wires extending from the under side and the oil dripping from them (instead of blood) further elaborate on the fabrication of the Jesus of the bible. The coins in his hand represent the outstretched hand of the church and how they have used one man's (questionably real) sacrifice to guilt people into emptying their pockets in return for salvation.

 

At the base, the bible covers a mound of decimated flesh and bones. This represents the millions of actual lives (in contrast with the one fabricated life) that have been taken in the name of Christianity and how the church tries to cover it up or use the bible to justify their actions.

 

The pure whiteness of the hands contrast dramatically with the grotesque mess of flesh below. A direct spotlight causes them to literally overshadow the mayhem and draw attention to the hands of Jesus.

 

Note: Most images of the crucifixion display the nails going through Jesus' hands. In this piece, I have placed the nail through the wrist as a more accurate representation of this form of execution. The bones of the hands are not strong enough to support the weight of a human body.

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