Is the Pope’s Statue a Sin Against Public Art?

Everybody’s a critic, especially when it comes to public art. Mix in religion, a beloved figure, and modern art and you’ve got yourself all the ingredients for controversy. The recently unveiled statue of Pope John Paul II by Oliviero Rainaldi may be the most hated piece of art on earth at the moment. The Vatican beatified the beloved Polish pontiff earlier this month. Rainaldi’s statue was to be a tribute in honor of that step toward sainthood from the Fondazione Silvana Paolini Angelucci, a charitable organization that donated the statue to Rome. Now, Romans want to give it back, calling it a public eyesore and a black mark against the memory of the holy man they feel it fails to resemble. In that holiest of cities for Catholics, is the statue of John Paul II a sin against public art? Please come over to Picture This at Big Think to read more of "Is the Pope’s Statue a Sin Against Public Art?"

[Image: Oliviero Rainaldi. Statue of Pope John Paul II. Rome, Italy.]

Book of Revelation: A New Definitive History of Christian Art in “Ars Sacra”

When Moses came down from the mountain, he carried along stone tablets bearing The Ten Commandments—the definitive law of God. An equally definitive word has been passed down in the form of Ars Sacra: Christian Art and Architecture of the Western World from the Very Beginning Up Until Today, which should instantly assume the role of the definitive guide in words and pictures of Christian art. With 800 oversized pages of high quality photography and insightful text adding up to a mammoth weight of 23 pounds, Ars Sacra wins the heavyweight title of the world of religious art books. All the familiar masterpieces appear with fresh perspectives along with new wonders to behold, making Ars Sacra truly a Book of Revelation for both believers and art-loving nonbelievers. Please come over to Picture This at Big Think to read more of "Book of Revelation."

[Image: Bernardo Vittone. St. Chiara at Bra, Italy. 1742. Interior view of dome.]

[Many thanks to H.F. Ullmann for providing me with the image above from and a review copy of Ars Sacra: Christian Art and Architecture of the Western World from the Very Beginning Up Until Today.]

New Horsemen, New Whores: Michael Caines “Revelations and Dog”

I always chuckle at the old joke about the dyslexic atheist holding up a sign saying, “There is no Dog!” Whenever talk turns to revelations and apocalypses, we all seem to be reading things backwards and upside down in hopes of making sense of the unknown, usually with comic results. Michael Caines’ Revelations and Dog riffs on the familiar song of the Book of Revelation to come up with a new tune for today’s topsy turvy world on the brink. It’s an almost perverse presentation to publish with Easter coming up, but Revelations and Dog’s joking may be the perfect antidote to the humorless, febrile dreams of religious radicalism. Caines comes up with the perfect new Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse and Whore of Babylon for today’s faithful, and unfaithful. Please come over to Picture This at Big Think to read more of "New Horsemen, New Whores."

[Image: Michael Caines, Revelation chapter 6, ink and gouache on paper, 9.5 x 14 inches, 2009.]

[Many thanks to Mark Batty Publisher for providing me with a review copy of and the image from Revelations and Dog illustrated by Michael Caines.]