AltXmasArt 1: Annunciation

“Annunciation” (from “Ecce Homo”) by Elisabeth Ohlson Wallin, 1998. Photograph, 79 x 60 inches. www.ohlson.se

The Madonna and her female lover are portrayed as a lesbian couple, seven months’ pregnant through artificial insemination in “Annunciation” by Elisabeth Ohlson Wallin. The angel Gabriel comes in the form of their gay male friend, who floats in with a message from God—and a test tube for insemination. A Bible quote is displayed with the photo: “The angel said to her, “ ‘Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus.’” (Luke 1:30-31) It’s important to imagine the Christmas story in new and different ways because it empowers people to grow in their relationship with each other and with God. Imagining the Madonna as a lesbian may be shocking, but it reminds the viewer that the story of Jesus’ birth has always been radical. It was scandalous that God’s son was born to an unwed mother in poverty. God became flesh—a shockingly total identification with all people. “Annunciation” is the opening image in the Swedish photographer’s series titled Ecce Homo, a pun meaning “See the human being” and “See the homosexual.” Each image is haunting and sharply beautiful, with a fashion-photo clarity and documentary truth that makes the familiar story become acutely real. All hell broke loose when Ohlson Wallin recreated twelve scenes from Christ’s life using contemporary LGBT models and locations. Her Ecce Homo series toured Europe, often in churches, but the Pope expressed disapproval by canceling a planned audience with the Swedish archbishop. Opponents vandalized the art, threw rocks at the artist and issued death threats. This kind of religious bigotry is exactly why images of a queer Christ are needed. “I wanted Jesus for me and my own sexual sense,” Ohlson Wallin explains. “I wanted to be able to identify with Jesus. There are millions and billions of Jesus pictures for heterosexuals to identify with. In Africa they have black Jesus. In China they have Chinese Jesus. Lots of different countries each have a different Jesus.” Please come back tomorrow for AltXmasArt2: “La Anunciación (The Annuciation)” by Armando Lopez. _______________ This photograph appears in “Art That Dares: Gay Jesus, Woman Christ, and More” by Kittredge Cherry. The book is filled with color images by 11 contemporary artists. Five artists from AltXmasArt are featured in the book. The artists tell the stories behind their images and a lively introduction puts them into political and historical context, exploring issues of blasphemy and artistic freedom.

See gay Christian art on video

Controversial GLBT Christian photos from Sweden can now be seen online as a video slideshow. Swedish photographer Elisabeth Ohlson Wallin has just put the images on YouTube as a slide show with Bible quotes in English -- the same way that it was shown at Sweden’s National Cathedral in Uppsala. That’s the show that made the Pope so angry that he canceled a visit to Sweden. It’s never been possible to see the gay Christian series this well online. The video is a huge improvement over previous versions on the Web. Ohlson Wallin’s photographs recreate scenes from Christ’s life in a contemporary lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) context. She calls it “Ecce Homo,” a pun meaning both “Behold the man” and “Behold the gay.” The award-winning photos sparked violence and death threats when they toured Europe. Ohlson Wallin tells the full story behind “Ecce Homo” in my book Art That Dares: Gay Jesus, Woman Christ, and More. She describes her creative process and the violent reaction against her art. The book is packed with color images by 11 contemporary artists from the US and Europe. The attacks on Ohlson Wallin’s art is an example of why queer Christian images are needed. Jesus taught love, but now Christian rhetoric is being used to justify hate and discrimination LGBT people.