"An Illuminated Life" Altars

images shot by Sungchun Ahn (April 20, 2010)

Arts & Theology Internship (Works in Progress & Artist Statement)

I have always worked with notions of race, gender, body, sexuality, family, relationships, beauty, time, space, and wholeness in my creative work. As an artist I am primarily attracted to photographic images. Photographs are snapshots of memory. They tell it like it is and tell it like we want it to be. At once, photographs merge the past with the present and—when engaged—can shape future ways of being. In particular, I am interested in the way in which photographs operate within familial structures. Photographs help us to make meaning. Photographs help us to remember. Photographs conjure up moments--those we are eager to cling to and those we long to forget.

I am interested in the ways in which human life, in general, and Black female life, in particular, is—in and of itself—art. This work, using photographic images as a foundation, explores memory, narrative, and the telling of one’s story. There are several life giving traditions from which I drew to create this work: I look to Womanist theologians—Katie Canon, Renita Weems, Lynne Westfield—whose starting point for theology is autobiography; I look to black female visual artists—Lorna Simpson, Clarissa Sligh, and Pat Ward Williams—who combine photographic image and text to bring to bear the stories of black women; and I look to the ancient makers of illuminated manuscripts--especially those who beautifully and artfully recorded critical moments in the life and ministry of Jesus as recorded in the Holy Bible. At once I have merged these traditions and created a work that is unique—An Illuminated Life. This work is the beginning of canonizing my own life, and the stories of my family, as sacred text.

What is now a blessing began as a curse of sorts. Some years ago my older sister made this statement: “Anyone can take their life experiences and make art.” Her words were meant to diminish the visual work that I was creating as an MFA student at Howard University. Initially I shrank in the face of her words. But then, after critical and creative thought, I recognized the grain truth in her statement. I believe that all of our lives are valuable and that all of our stories warrant being told. As people of faith, when we tell our stories, we point to the presence and activity of God in our lives and we place ourselves in the larger Christian story.

It is my hope that the telling of my story—in visual form—will inspire another to take the risk and preach, sing, dance, shout, paint, or write their own story.

Donna Olivia Powell (c)2010

A Travel Advisory for Pilgrims of Love in the time of Terror (by Heather Murray Elkins)

A Travel Advisory for Pilgrims of Love in the time of Terror.

Pack only what you need and are willing to share.

Leave every weapon except Truth at the border.

When it comes to currency, be wise.

Avoid gold.

Carry copper instead.











The guard dogs of Caesar

can’t track its trace until it’s too late.

Any penny is a common wealth

and two cents builds trust.

Every true sense of liberty

(hammered by wisdom

wired with the gospel)

conducts electric vision:

with malice toward none

with charity for all. . . .

the hidden assets of a widow’s might.



Heather Murray Elkins, copyright, Epiphany 20

When Do We Laugh? Where Do We Feel It?(Group Reflections)

• laugh at yourself—entire body
• laugh to cover insecurities—tension in back
• laugh to grieve—heart and eyes
• laugh because annoyed—shoulders
• laugh because of embarrassment—cheeks
• laugh with others (in community)—belly, shoulders, arms, legs, hitting others, slapping tables
• laugh to be polite—top/pit of stomach
• laugh when things are absurd—head shake (back and forth)
• laugh to acknowledge/agree—head nod/bobble
• laugh at inappropriate times—moves from esophagus to throat to lips and halts
• laugh to flirt—pelvis and head
• laugh at self (to reduce anxiety)—gut
• laugh at the elephant in the room/obvious—top of the head

Laughing Jesus Reflection

• Look slowly and deeply at the picture…sit with it.What surprises you?
• what’s new?
• What’s unsettling?
• What insight do you gain about paradise, Jesus, yourself, your ministry?
• What do you want to say to the laughing Jesus?
  
• What do you hear from the laughing Jesus?
• Draw, write, create a response…

"The First Supper"

The idea first came in to my mind when I saw a very interesting painting of El Greco where Christ was driving away the business people who occupied the Temple. In this Christ was shown with anger. I then got the idea about a happy Christ. Secondly, when I saw the Last Supper by Leonardo, I thought about the first supper and imagined how the situation would have been. I was sure that as Christ was human and divine he must have had the quality of humour and wit in him and would have shared this with his followers when he discussed certain things with them I am sure that he must have had many times meetings with ordinary people where he shared his happiness with them.

Artist: Alphonso Doss

Oil on canvas - 80 cm x 60 cm

Chennai, South India

For more Laughing Jesus images, visit http://jesuschrist.uk.com/

Paradise Questions

• What does it mean to be a woman who has access to Paradise?
• For women, and for you, what are the obstacles to Paradise?

Some Humor from Paradise...

Late one morning, as Phil the Mailman is traveling through the neighborhood on his usual route, he noticed that both cars were still in the driveway at one of the homes he knew well. His wonder was cut short by Derek, the homeowner, coming out with a load of empty beer and wine bottles for the recycling bin.

"Morning, Derek, looks like you guys had a great party last night," Phil said...

Derek replies, "Actually we had it Saturday night, but this is the first I've felt like moving since then...We had about fifteen couples from around the neighborhood ovver for some weekend fun & it got a bit wild. We all got so drunk around midnight that we started playing 'WHO AM I'..."

Phil thinks a moment and asks, "How do tou play 'WHO AM I?"

"Well, all the guys go into the bedroom and come out one at a time with a sheet covering us, with only our family jewels showing through a hole in the sheet. Then the women try to guess who it is."

Phil the Postman laughs and says, "Sounds like fun. I'm sorry I missed that."

"It's probably a good thing you did," Derek responded. "Your name came up seven times..."
joke provided by "I don't remember, it was months ago" (now that's funny!)