LOLBible

[thoughtful]

That's how we know what people wore at certain periods of time, because of how religious figures were dressed in the art of that time. (It's always fun to look at some altarpieces and see the Virgin and child in the middle, and then off to the sides, the artist would paint in the patrons who paid for the altarpiece, dressed in similar finery, bowing towards the center.) In more recent centuries, religious figures were dressed symbolically, such as (in the West) the Virgin Mary being dressed in white and blue in popular art, even though it's more likely that she probably wore offwhites and browns, because, well, that's what the sheep and goats grew. Sure, there were dyes, but they were expensive, and some colors were reserved strictly for Roman nobility.

Thanks, Mirele!

My knowledge of art history is based entirely on my thinking "ooh, isn't that interesting? I wonder why . . ." So I was vaguely aware of the practice, but not in any detail.

When I was looking for art with which to make more LOLs, I found a triptych like you described, before I read your post. It was fun to have a visual reference in my head when I read your description!

I never thought about the fact that Mary being in blue and bright white was actually pretty unlikely.

[thoughtful]

Photoshopping Abe in blackface would be about the most non-PC things to do, all things considered, but I'm glad I wasn't the only one thinking Jolson when I saw that hot mess of a "painting." Who's the "artist?" That painter-of-light guy (Kinkade?). His crap sells like hotcakes in fundieland.

Not Kinkaide -- there is info about the artist somewhere in this thread, if you want to know more about him.

But, if one is in the mood for Kinkaide-mocking, I found this while looking for things to LOL -- a pastor's blog entry with various modernizations and parodies of the Carravaggio Doubting Thomas:

concordpastor.blogspot.com/2011/04/variations-on-carravaggios-doubting.html

ETA - this artist, Tissot, seemed to think that Judas Iscariot looked like Abe Lincoln! :lol:

Actually, in his other paintings - he did a large series on the Passion story -- Judas doesn't look like this, but this one struck me:

www.joyfulheart.com/easter/images-tisso ... 98x728.jpg

[mirele]

The "artist" of the Jesus and the Constitution painting is one Jon McNaughton. He lives in Utah and went to Brigham Young University.

http://www.mcnaughtonart.com/artwork/vi ... ece_id=353

This, of course, explains why 99 percent of the people in the painting are white--that pretty much reflects the ethnic diversity of Utah. (Seriously, though, the last time I checked, Utah had about one percent African Americans and nine percent other minorities--Latino, Asian/Pacific Islander, etc.)

I'm of the opinion that if you have to make an entire web page to explain the generally obvious symbolism in your "painting," then it's no longer art. Good art lets the viewers themselves figure out the symbolism and meaning--if any. Otherwise, you're just beating people over the head and why did you bother painting this in the first place?

Oh, and by the way, I'd just like to note that I consider this McNaughton artwork to be highly offensive:

http://www.mcnaughtonart.com/artwork/vi ... ce_id=379#

(I'm so not breaking the link, McNaughton's idiocies have been linked all over the interwebs.)

It shows the presidents, with one, Obama, standing on the Constitution in a disrespectful way. I'm going to send this jackass a note.

ETA: Note sent. Among other things, I compared his "art" to that of the Soviet Union and Communist China in its didacticism. I hope he goes up into flames.

[reds]

:P :P :P

[thoughtful]

Also can someone explain the lolballam to me? I know the ballam story but I am missing something there.

I just noticed this -- sorry I didn't answer when you first asked.

The caption I put in was a quote from Shrek:

tYv2lHO7xSo

[JesusFightClub]

The "artist" of the Jesus and the Constitution painting is one Jon McNaughton. He lives in Utah and went to Brigham Young University.

http://www.mcnaughtonart.com/artwork/vi ... ece_id=353

This, of course, explains why 99 percent of the people in the painting are white--that pretty much reflects the ethnic diversity of Utah. (Seriously, though, the last time I checked, Utah had about one percent African Americans and nine percent other minorities--Latino, Asian/Pacific Islander, etc.)

I'm of the opinion that if you have to make an entire web page to explain the generally obvious symbolism in your "painting," then it's no longer art. Good art lets the viewers themselves figure out the symbolism and meaning--if any. Otherwise, you're just beating people over the head and why did you bother painting this in the first place?

Oh, and by the way, I'd just like to note that I consider this McNaughton artwork to be highly offensive:

http://www.mcnaughtonart.com/artwork/vi ... ce_id=379#

(I'm so not breaking the link, McNaughton's idiocies have been linked all over the interwebs.)

It shows the presidents, with one, Obama, standing on the Constitution in a disrespectful way. I'm going to send this jackass a note.

ETA: Note sent. Among other things, I compared his "art" to that of the Soviet Union and Communist China in its didacticism. I hope he goes up into flames.

Socialist realism. Which I am very fond of, and agree the guy's doing a conservative version ;)

He doesn't seem to see his own racial assumptions, as you note. Why is Obama trampling on the Constitution? And everyone else in the picture including the Forgotten Man is white?

It also makes no sense to say what the Forgotten Man needs is moar capitalism. We have plenty of that in Europe and the US, and it is what got us in this mess in the first place.

[AudreyE]

I'm of the opinion that if you have to make an entire web page to explain the generally obvious symbolism in your "painting," then it's no longer art. Good art lets the viewers themselves figure out the symbolism and meaning--if any. Otherwise, you're just beating people over the head and why did you bother painting this in the first place?

Well, I don't know about that. You've got Jesus holding some sort of Declaration-sized paper, the founding fathers, Abe Lincoln, a serviceman, and the architecture of Washington DC. I mean, what could that possibly symbolize? It's all T.S. Eliot up in here, and I, for one, am thrilled for the insights into the artist's thought processes.

[AudreyE]

JESUS: "So, you can know her from the front OR the back."

ADAM: "I look so fine. I'm going to hit the weights, then see if Jose can do my hair. Has God made Jose yet? What about martinis?"

EVE: "I so hope Jesus talks about classical French literature next. I shall get my PhD, then travel and write biting social commentary."

TIGER: I'ma eat these bitches.

"You prayin' to me? You prayin' to me? You prayin' to me? Then who the hell else are you prayin' to? You prayin' to me? Well I'm the only one here. Who the fuck do you think you're praying to?"

I got the last two from creepyjesuspics (dot) tumblr (dot) com.

[AudreyE]

I think what I'm taking from this is that the Muslims may have the right idea about depicting their religious icons. The God you worship may NOT have blessed you with artistic talent.

[mirele]

Socialist realism. Which I am very fond of, and agree the guy's doing a conservative version ;)

He doesn't seem to see his own racial assumptions, as you note. Why is Obama trampling on the Constitution? And everyone else in the picture including the Forgotten Man is white?

It also makes no sense to say what the Forgotten Man needs is moar capitalism. We have plenty of that in Europe and the US, and it is what got us in this mess in the first place.

Oh, this is the thing. I actually can appreciate Socialist Realism. In fact, I told McNaughton in my note that if I had his stuff in my house, it'd be as part of a larger exhibit of didactic artworks (including those dreaded Commies). It's just, don't call it Fine Art...call it art in the service of propaganda (although I'm sure that the Powers that Be in France thought the Impressionists were terribly subversive with their propaganda that did away with the appropriate beautiful bodily forms and correctly modeled faces and so on).

McNaughton lives in Utah and has probably been there all his life. If he's ever had an African American for a friend, I'd be surprised. I looked at where he gives his workshops, and it's all in Happy Valley (Utah County aka Provo and environs). You know, where 90-plus percent of the people are white and Mormon.

[tankgirl]

Not talking out of your hat at all. That's how we know what people wore at certain periods of time, because of how religious figures were dressed in the art of that time. (It's always fun to look at some altarpieces and see the Virgin and child in the middle, and then off to the sides, the artist would paint in the patrons who paid for the altarpiece, dressed in similar finery, bowing towards the center.) In more recent centuries, religious figures were dressed symbolically, such as (in the West) the Virgin Mary being dressed in white and blue in popular art, even though it's more likely that she probably wore offwhites and browns, because, well, that's what the sheep and goats grew. Sure, there were dyes, but they were expensive, and some colors were reserved strictly for Roman nobility.

Mary was often painted in blue in European art, because blue paint made from Lapis Lazuli was more expensive, then many other colors. A patron requesting the heavy use of blue would have paid more to the artist, and it would have shown the patrons wealth. Later mythology tied Mary to the skies. This is also why over time the color blue became associated with girls (boys were tied to Pink for its tie in with the blood of Jesus), well until more recent times.

AubreyE I freak'n love that Garden of Eve Harlequin Romance Novel Cover picture, or is it some weird Mexican Soda Ad? Either way it is hysterically bad.

[thoughtful]

Stephen Colbert is doing a segment on McNaughton right now, featuring this painting:

And the two that we've discussed.

Some gems:

About this one:

"You can almost hear the founding fathers ask 'Who gave that slave a suit?'"

And, for this:

"It's like where's Waldo, but what you are searching for is the slightest hint of subtlety."

:lol:

[thoughtful]

Just found this blog entry snarking on McNaughton, as well:

bycommonconsent.com/2012/03/19/jon-mcnaughtons-idea-journal/