Book Review: "American Qur’an’ is an Old/New Masterpiece by Sandow Birk

-
THE WASHINGTON POST
By G. Willow Wilson
Illustration from "American Qur'an" artwork by Sandow Birk. (2016 by Sandow Birk)
WASHINGTON,DC---Images enter our minds as infallible: Few of us wonder whether the carpet on the floor is true or false, whether the person who smiles at us on the subway is real or unreal. Daily life would be impossible without this visual credulity. But the same instinct that tells us everything we see is true makes us intriguingly vulnerable to distortion and suggestion in art. It is this visual vulnerability that prompts most schools of Islamic thought to prohibit images of sacred figures — prophets, angels, Allah — and in a few extreme cases, images of any living being whatsoever. [link]

“American Qur’an” by Sandow Birk — a full-size Koran, transcribed entirely by hand according to the exacting medieval tradition, but in English instead of Arabic — by carefully studying the rules of the art form.

Popular posts from this blog

Passing on Your Collection to Another Generation

-
Image
By Ernest Disney-Britton Our living room in downtown Indianapolis This house (in Indiana) allowed us to explore everything, but today is moving day! It was a maximalist experience for two minimalists who love to collect. We sold off multiple collections, including snow globes, Mary sculptures, paperweights, Disney plates, nutcrackers, 21c penguins, walking canes, and 100 prints and paintings! Most of it was in storage, but plenty was on display. We did it by inviting our community of artists and collectors to an estate sale before opening it to the public. Congratulations to the new owners. We hope your collections continue to grow. Goodbye, Indiana!
Read more

Museum Calls Off Kehinde Wiley Show, Citing Assault Allegations

-
Image
THE NEW YORK TIMES Kehinde Wiley at his exhibition “An Archaeology of Silence” at the de Young Museum in San Francisco in 2023. Other museums have put plans for the show on hold. Credit: Ian C. Bates for The New York Times The Minneapolis Institute of Art announced Thursday that it had decided not to move forward with a planned Kehinde Wiley exhibition, citing recent allegations of sexual misconduct against the artist, which he has denied. The exhibition, called “ An Archaeology of Silence ,” originated at the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco and has been traveling around the country. [ Source ]
Read more

Was Jesus naked on the cross? Yes, according to Michelangelo, the Bible, and Roman customs

-
Image
THE GLEANER | JAMAICA, WI By Rev. Clinton Chisholm Naked Jesus credited by many to Michelangelo | Courtesy of Wikipedia WISCONSIN - Our Lord Jesus Christ was, in all likelihood, naked on the cross. Christian art and the Church will not face it readily, so you won't see crucifixion pictures of Jesus with exposed penis, though in all likelihood, following Roman custom, he would have been crucified naked. [ link ]
Read more