AMERICA MAGAZINE
By Sarah NeitzX
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| From left, clockwise: “The Spiritual and Corporal Works of Mercy” by Jen Norton; “The Visitation” by James B. Janknegt; “Mary, Undoer of Knots” by Annie Vaeth; and a traditional painting of the Sacred Heart of Jesus (iPhoto). |
About a year ago, I got married and moved in with my husband, and as we set up our apartment, one of the problems we faced was where to hang Creepy Jesus. If you grew up in a Catholic environment, you have seen Creepy Jesus before: the Sacred Heart of Jesus portrait, printed on cardboard with gold foil radiating from the head of a white man with improbably enormous eyes. My husband loves Creepy Jesus. This made me think of David Halle’s
Inside Culture: Art and Class in the American Home (1993). Halle’s book made me realize that my objection to Creepy Jesus had little to do with the Sacred Heart of Jesus and a lot to do with class. Placing religious art throughout the home supports your faith commitments, reminding you that you belong to a community that transcends class. [
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| Traditional print of a Sacred Heart of Jesus painting from the collection of the Alpha & Omega Project for Contemporary Religious Art |
