Monday, November 1, 2010

DVD TO ART, BUT DON'T MAKE WAVES


"The Wave" by Lucinda Naylor in collaboration with 2,000 households

From Jesus in Love:

An inclusive sculpture made from anti-gay DVDs was unveiled Friday in Minneapolis.

Artist Lucinda Naylor showed off “The Wave,” which she created out of 2,000 DVDs that were originally sent by the Catholic Church to oppose same-sex marriage.

Minnesota Archbishop John Nienstedt.sent 400,000 of the DVDs to Minnesota Catholics, urging them to seek a constitutional amendment against same-sex marriage. Naylor responded by asking people to give her their DVDs for recycling into art with an inclusive theme of hope.

Naylor’s project made waves in the church and led authorities to fire her from her job as artist-in-residence at the Basilica of Saint Mary in Minneapolis.

And there you have it. If you work for the Roman Catholic Church, you must not make waves, not in art...and perhaps not even in the water? Who can tell us?

Lucinda, your sculpture is wonderful. You laid your job on the line for what you believe in - hope for inclusion. Thank you for standing up for justice and equality.

He has told you, O mortal, what is good;
and what does the Lord require of you
but to do justice, and to love kindness,
and to walk humbly with your God?

(Micah 6:8)

7 comments:

  1. How creative of the Roman church ... a "Don't think, don't disagree" policy. Should anyone be surprised?

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  2. Whiteycat, no one should be surprised. I'm sure Lucinda knew the risks, but I suppose you hope against hope that the powers (at least, some of them!) will wake up.

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  3. Lovely sculpture and what a good and creative impulse behind it. It's a very positive way of saying to the Catholic church "You are absoutely and totally wrong."

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  4. And now that Lucinda has been fired because of her sculpture with "an inclusive theme of hope", the story will spread, and Roman Catholic people and others in far more than 2000 households in Minnesota will hear the story which reflects so very uncharitably on the RC church.

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  5. Brilliant . . . AND blessed!

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  6. CNN covered the Wave recently! And the Wave keeps getting better. Lucinda has added a “Wailing Wall” made of sleeves from the DVDs, where people can tuck notes with their thoughts and prayers. The Wave fell over and cracked, then Lucinda reformed it into a lovely new shape. Thanks for quoting the Jesus in Love Blog.

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  7. KittKatt, you're quite welcome.

    The Wave fell over and cracked, then Lucinda reformed it into a lovely new shape.

    It's almost as if that were part of the plan - the wave crashing and formed into a new shape. Rather wonderful, really.

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