An anatomically correct sculpture of Jesus is causing an uproar in New York City. The catch? It’s cast not in bronze or plaster, but in chocolate. Yummy chocolate.
The Daily News, in an article titled “Choc full o’ anger,” reports that Cosimo Cavallaro’s statue My Sweet Lord is confected from nearly 200 pounds of dark chocolate. It went up Monday at the Lab Gallery on East 47th Street, amid angry protests from offended Christians.
‘It’s an all-out war on Christianity,’ fumed Bill Donohue, president of the Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights.
‘He’s not wearing any clothes at all,’ said Debbie Charan, 40, of Queens. ‘Why would they want to do something like that?’
Cavallaro is an artist foodies might want to keep tabs on, as he seems to use food as a medium quite often. In the past he’s covered an entire Wyoming house in pepper jack cheese and produced works titled Candy Chair and Marshmallow Jacket.
As a chocolate lover, it’s sad that that chocolate probably won’t be eaten. As an artist, I defend his right to create and display what he feels expresses himself. As a spiritual but not religious person, I’m not upset about the subject matter.
But, have to say the work itself doesn’t appeal to me aesthetically. Maybe the finished installed work is more impressive and interesting to look at. I like the idea(s) of conceptual art – but the reality of it is sometimes not all that much to look at, to me. And as a practical matter, I believe in creating work that will last, made of materials that will not deteriorate. But, different brushstrokes for different artists . . .
Any contemporary art with Christian content is vulnerable to this kind of hysteria. Unfortunate, but there it is. I firmly believe that were Michelangelo alive today, his work would be roundly censored. He was way too passionate about the male body for today’s society. Today, some guy makes a figurative sculpture that looks very 9th century Carolingian to me, sans loincloth, and people freak out. I get disgusted by the whole thing.
Mmmm…sacredelicious!
I am really confused. i was in Perugia a few years ago for a chocolate festival, and an artist there carved, out of a giant block of chocolate, the biggest Madonna and Child EVER. and threw the leftover chocolate bits to the crowd.
was it not sacredilicious (thanks regan!) because it wasn’t in a gallery? or because it’s not Sweet Jesus, but Sweet Madonna and Baby Jesus?
this reminds me of Piss Christ years ago, but chocolate is obviously better then pee.