2007 March « Jennie’s Palette

Archive for March, 2007

Mar

Nude Chocolate Jesus not Delicious

By Jennie 5 Comments

Categories: News and Nudes

NEW YORK — The Easter season unveiling of a milk chocolate sculpture of Jesus Christ, dubbed “My Sweet Lord” by its creator, left a sour taste Thursday in the mouths of a Catholic group infuriated by the anatomically correct confection.

“This is one of the worst assaults on Christian sensibilities ever,” said Bill Donohue, head of the watchdog Catholic League. “It’s not just the ugliness of the portrayal, but the timing — to choose Holy Week is astounding.”

Nude Chocolate Jesus Angers Catholic League - Family:

I tend to wonder on what basis this piece is considered “one of the worst assaults on Christian sensibilities ever” is it the timing, the media or the fact that the piece is entirely nude?

I cannot see that the timing or the medium is really that offensive. the medium surely can be no worse than Piss Christ and the timing seems quite appropriate to me. Chocolate is quite traditional this time of year, not just as celebratory food but as one of the most popular things to give up for lent. Without speaking for the artist in any way, I look at this piece and see a comment on the change of focus in easter. This period is one of the holiest in the christian calendar, but the focus seems to have shifted, even more than Christmas, to chocolate and bunnies. The practice of lent has dropped off and seems very incongruous with all the brightly packaged chocolate and sweet things.

Is the nudity the issue? I think it may be. I believe that the concept of Jesus being a fully functional male is distasteful to a culture that equates nudity with sex and impurity. there is evidence to support a history of nude crucifixion and the later additions of loincloths to religious iconography as mores changed. I frequently fail to understand how the depiction of the human body is wrong, whether religious or otherwise. In fact, I maintain that the nude body should be celebrated more, whether celebrating it for it’s incredible functionality, or the belief it is fashioned in God’s image. To me, a nude crucifixion makes sense. The bible states that God sent Jesus to earth as a human being to die to atone for humanities sins. the concept of a nude Jesus emphasizes that to me. A nude Jesus proves his humanity, but it also lends a pathos to the subject, a depiction of the weakness of the human flesh and the triumph of the spirit.

Tags: art, art news, artist, cavallaro, chocolate, christian, controversy, easter, jesus

Mar

testing

By Jennie 0 Comments

Categories: Reflections

Ova - 24x 30 Acrylic and Gesso on Canvas<br />
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Ova - 24x 30 Acrylic and Gesso on Canvas,
by Jennie

Apologies about the rather emo post yesterday, I am experimenting in some new media, working completely outside of my normal sphere of knowledge or control. most of my techniques have evolved from practices I have been working on for years. Now, for the first time in a very long time, I am working in something completely new and different. a media that is very temperamental with completely alien control.

The thing about testing is that it helps you gain experience and work out all the kinks before bringing it into the real world. it’s good to have these bad experiences now and work out where you went wrong before destroying a proper piece. I am learning all the time but it is exceptionally frustrating, especially when it all goes horribly wrong. I put a lot of pressure on myself, and when something doesn’t go right (or wrong in the right way) I come down hard.

Mar

not surprised

By Jennie 1 Comment

Categories: Random

What Be Your Nerd Type? Your Result: Artistic Nerd Whether it’s painting, sewing, drawing, arts and crafts; or just splashing paint onto a canvas and calling it art; you mostly fit this description. Lots of people envy the artists, but be humble and keep working on it. There is a shortage of true artists today who actually contribute anything to society.
Musician
Literature Nerd
Drama Nerd
Gamer/Computer Nerd
Anime Nerd
Social Nerd
Science/Math Nerd
What Be Your Nerd Type? Quizzes for MySpace

I knew I was doomed when I wanted to change the incorrect spelling of artist’s names in one question - and that wasn’t even the topic!

Sorry to do something random and diary bloggy rather than probloggy but we all need a diversion.

Mar

Cry

By Jennie 0 Comments

Categories: Rants

Even people who work in their dream jobs have bad days. I spent hours today on two pieces for nothing. they both suck. I suck. I feel like I am losing my focus in my works. I need to put these two aside and do something new and different, but I can’t!

I think going away over easter will be very beneficial. I am losing my faith in myself and my work.

Mar

crisis averted

By Jennie 0 Comments

Categories: Online

all systems are go once more… Support handled my issue in a very timely and effective manner. thanks guys!

Mar

Site Outage

By Jennie 0 Comments

Categories: Online

My website and email are currently down. I don’t know why yet, everything checks out as far as I can tell. in the meantime, please email my backup address at jennierosenbaum [at] gmail.com if you need to get in contact with me.

Mar

Seclusion

By Jennie 0 Comments

Categories: Creating Art and Reflections

Cocoon,
by Jennie

Sorry I haven’t been posting as much lately, I seem to be going through one of my periodic antisocial phases when I hide away from the world. I liken these phases to being in a cocoon because my art focus triples and usually I come out of it with something I didn’t have before- a belief, a technique, new ideas, new ways of looking.. It isn’t something I can force, if I try I lose whatever it was I was trying to gain- like a soap bubble.

I think that over the past couple of months I have been trying to force it. to push through with my usual bullheaded workaholic tendencies. I have been pushing out paintings before their time has come in response to some inane clock ticking away in my head. I think that is why my latest pieces have been very mediocre - I need to work on their timetable, not mine.

Mar

Abstract Shapes or Abstract Ideas?

By Jennie 0 Comments

Categories: Reflections

Picture 1,
by noInfluenceArt

noinfluenceArt — Like the title portrays, this program shows you art without any influence,
its just random.
Its Computer Generated Art, Why dont you see what your mac can draw?

Computers do a great job of drawing without any outside influences.
Made to inspire artists to think outside the box.
noinfluenceArt 1.0 - MacUpdate:

I have fallen in love with this toy. as an inspirational tool it is very interesting but also in terms of art influence it is fascinating.

noInfluenceArt was made with the idea to inspire artists. I certainly do find it inspiring, the shapes work in a similar way to a rorschach test creating an image in the mind rather than on the screen.

but does it make a comment on art creation as well? on modern art consciously created from abstract shapes versus the random creations of a computer? I hazard a guess to say both. like the way a rorschach works these seemingly random creations draw something from our minds and we assign a meaning, a form, a function. Abstract art and software like this frequently rely on mathematical constructs that we process automatically, like a complex piece of music.

Of course there will always be some people who look at modern art and see random shapes, just as they may see it in this software, but people who are rich in imagination and experience will draw something from both. and that still remains my personal definition of art.

Tags: abstract, Art, artist, musing, philosophy

Mar

Cycles

By Jennie 0 Comments

Categories: Creating Art and Reflections

Sketch,
by Jennie

I seem to be in a loop of trying to get motivated to do anything and sketching franticly, putting in marathon efforts. I tend to be a fairly sporadic person as it is, but it seems to have spun into a very strong cycle of creation and recovering from said creation. All I seem to be creating are ideas, I don’t have the energy to commit to anything finished but I am so excited by the ideas that are emerging. my work seems to be evolving, gaining in complexity and emotive content. it’s a bizarre time but I guess I have to ride out these waves until it calms down and wait to see what emerges from the storm. it’s exciting and terrifying at the same time.

Tags: artist, creating art, inspiring

Mar

Dedicated to the art of the Nude

By Jennie 2 Comments

Categories: Nudes

Hiding - 18 x 18 Oils on Canvas,
by Jennie

Once again the time has come for the barebrush monthly juried show. I’ve put in a good showing so far, gaining an honorable mention for Grace last month in the new competition that has been added and having several of my pieces featured in the exhibition.

This month sees a new Chelsea gallery owner as curator and the competition is fierce! you can all help me by taking a look at my works on the barebrush site, every view puts my work higher on the lightbox and really makes a difference.

Tags: Art, art marketing, artist, barebrush, competition, exhibition