Inclusive Christmas tree: Anti-gay DVDs become ornaments

DVDs against same-sex marriage are being recycled now as decorations for the inclusive Christmas tree of Minnesota artist Lucinda Naylor. New photos tell recent developments with her amazing “DVD to Art” project.

“DVD to Art” protests the 400,000 sent to Minnesota Catholics by Archbishop John Nienstedt to urge them to seek a constitutional amendment against marriage equality. Naylor responded by asking people to give her their DVDs for recycling into art with an inclusive theme of hope. She was promptly fired as artist in residence at the Basilica of St. Mary in Minneapolis. Unless otherwise noted, photos come from Lucinda Naylor.

I love the rainbow reflections in this close-up of “The Wave,” a sculpture that Naylor built from the 2,000 anti-gay DVDs that she collected. Look closely and you’ll also see a reflection of the entwined hands of two men: Michael Bayly and his boyfriend Doug. Bayly is a gay Catholic who blogs at the Wild Reed Blog. Before Naylor dyed them blue, the DVDs clearly showed the entwined hands of a man and a woman. Photo by Doug Abbott.

Inspired by the Wailing Wall in Jerusalem, Naylor arranged the DVD sleeves on a wall so people could tuck their prayers inside on pieces of paper. “Remembering my grandmother's quilting bees, I invited women and girls to sew the sleeves together,” Naylor says.

“May all love be recognized as HOLY!” and “May the Wave and our prayers turn the tide” were among the prayers left at the Wailing Wall near Lucinda Naylor’s “Wave.”

This prayer at the Wave’s Wailing wall shows the smiling faces of mothers Margaret and Cathy with their child Louie -- “a family committed to social justice in all its forms.”

“I am praying for the oppressed people who have been horribly hurt by the Archbishop’s message. I pray for his conversion to Christianity.” -- a prayer left at the DVD to Art Wailing Wall.

After the Wave exhibition, some of the DVDs were sold as mini-sculptures. Most were returned to the Archbishop by a group called Return the DVD. The Archbishop wouldn’t meet with them, but the following video shows their confrontation with his representatives. Naylor saved the last few DVDs for her Christmas tree.



For more info, see our previous posts “Artist turns anti-gay DVD into inclusive art” and “Artist makes waves with protest art for marriage equality” and visit:

DVD to Art Facebook Group

DVD to Art Blog