Every now and then an idea pops into my consciousness that will not leave me alone. As the consequences of our culture’s addictions to guns and violence continue to play out, I have been feeling helpless to find something worth adding to the conversations. I am stunned that we seem to be so tolerant of the destruction we inflict on each other in the United States. And I am painfully aware that as a Christian minister, this is the worst place in the world to get preachy.
I watched with horror that video of the killing of Alton Sterling. The shooting of Philando Castile forced an expletive prayer from my gut. In report after report, I see the lives of black men sacrificed on the altar of America’s love affair with violence. The image of a black man laying bleeding on the altar made me recall The Pieta in fresh perspective.
The best known Pieta is a sculpture by Michelangelo depicting Mary the mother of Jesus holding her son’s broken and lifeless body. It embodies grief and loss and horror. It is painfully beautiful. Many others have also portrayed this apocryphal but utterly true moment.
It was when listening to the video taken by Castile’s partner, hearing the panicked police officer’s screams that I heard the maddened crowd in Jerusalem calling “crucify! crucify!” regardless of Jesus’ guilt or crime. Every black death is a crucifixion committed to ensure the empire’s hegemony. And so I saw Philando Castile draped across a contemporary Mary’s knee.
So that is what I painted. But also more than just Philando Castile. I painted a black figure lying across the lap of a Mary clad in a light blue track suit. It is a non-specific figure, representing not just Castile but all of the horrific shooting deaths of black men that have become too commonplace in our society. The scene is place behind a shattered piece of plexiglass pierced with bullet holes. You can only see the scene of the painting through the screen of the debris of the shootings.
I felt compelled to create my “American Pieta.” I generally stay away from overtly political works because they tend to have a short shelf life. They speak to a particular moment and when that moment has passed they fade into irrelevance. I created “American Pieta” on July 12. I posted a couple pictures but then left for a family reunion assuming that the world’s conversation would move on and my piece of art would become an outdated relic. I thought its moment would pass and it wouldn’t command enough timeliness to merit mention here.
I was wrong. I have woefully underestimated American’s propensity for violence.The shootings continue and now have been directed back at the police. Yes, there are peaceful demonstrations and, thankfully, examples of cooperation and unity. But too many of us seem to think that guns and violence are the only effective means of change. In America, victims of violence (and particularly people of color) continue to be the Christs who die because of our sin. In America, the cross has become the gun. And there are far too many Marys shedding tears.
expressionist coffee 