THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, April 16, 1995 TAG: 9504130197
SECTION: CAROLINA COAST PAGE: 27 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: Mary Ellen Riddle
LENGTH: Medium: 94 lines
Hot topic, religion is.
Whether you're arguing over prayer in school, feeling unsettled by the trend to update ancient doctrines or contemplating the fiery flames of hell, it's hot!
And as plaster Madonnas weep in Italy and lay activists scream ``hysteria, hysteria,'' Easter dawns.
In celebration of one of the most important Christian holy days of obligation, the Seaside Art Gallery in Nags Head opens the first International Christian Art Show amidst the changing times.
Unchanged remains the human desire to exalt what is unseen, yet deeply felt; that which is greater than the sum of the earthly.
Whether one is a ``believer'' or not, Christian art has always been appreciated as one of the richer and more intense art forms. For two weeks one can view a pious, dramatic and deeply personal collection of local and international art.
Gallery co-owner Melanie Smith said the show was inspired by her father Chester Smith's interest in Christian art.
``My father's always been interested in having his own collection of Christian-themed art,'' she said. ``This is kind of a natural extension of that interest. And because he's a strong Christian himself and because we have such a strong interest in art.
``Christianity and art have always gone hand in hand. In the beginning of Catholicism, stories were depicted in pictures. People weren't allowed to read the Bible. The clergy believed, especially since it was the word of God and they were chosen by God, that it was their privilege.''
The show depicts a wide variety of biblical books.
``We've got everything from Genesis to Revelations,'' Smith said. ``It's fascinating to see the interpretations of whatever passages the artist chose to interpret.''
More than 50 works from as close as Colington and as far away as Mexico, Canada and Germany line the south wing of the gallery. Smith said that folks expecting a dark, crucifix-swamped showing may be surprised.
``I think most people think of religious art as being in the church, not what artists are expressing today,'' she said. ``There is like an explosion of color here.''
While the Crucifixion is present in the show, many of the pieces are lighter and more joyous. Literal interpretations are juxtaposed with the abstract, and more personal visions are present.
Colington artist Sandy Ball submitted a little of both.
Her lighter pen and colored pencil angels contrast greatly against her abstract oil interpretation of Lord Byron's ``The Destruction of Sennacherib.'' Illustrating verse such as: ``And the might of the Gentile, unsmote by the sword, Hath melted like snow in the glance of the Lord!'' are thick dark strokes of purple, blue, red and yellow moving with force over the surface.
Ila Needre's painting, ``The Dead and Christ Rise First,'' has beings of all races ascending into the heavens. Stella Scarano's ``Guardian Angel'' is a dark, faceless form with a glow about the head. Adam and Eve, wall vases formed from cracked red clay and then painted, are hung side by side, with Adam gesturing toward Eve as she keeps company with a serpent.
Medieval-style figures illustrate ``The Annunciation'' in reds, blues, whites and gold leaf. And Judy Bailey's ``I Will Care for My Sheep,'' a realistic-style watercolor, shows a fold of sheep huddled under a tree in a snow-covered landscape.
The works call out for forgiveness, glorify the Creation, warn us with seven-eyed sheep, elevate us or envelope us in consuming fires. A combination of conflict and celebration, the show echoes the very emotions that light religious controversy and fervor.
Chosen to judge the show is Stan Robinson, a Greensboro artist and minster who often paints Christian themes that relate to the sea.
Perhaps the Christian show is best summed up by the work of Virginia carver Braxton Haynie. In his version of Noah and the ark, more than 150 hand-carved and painted primitive figures form a procession into the ark; then in a second set, figures depart.
While the first group begins to fill the ark in a somber and orderly fashion, departing monkeys leap in the trees, robed human forms hold arms outstretched or gesture joyfully toward the heavens. Birds and frogs congregate together on a rocky form; butterflies vibrate in the trees. One can hear the word ``Hallelujah'' echoing over and over as the figures express their joy.
``It's a celebration,'' Smith said. ``That's the major point of this show. Not to be controversial, but to celebrate Easter and Christianity.'' MEMO: The International Christian Art Show runs through April 30. The gallery
is located at N.C. Route 12, milepost 11, Nags Head; 441-5418.
ILLUSTRATION: Photo by MARY ELLEN RIDDLE
Gallery co-owner Melanie Smith said a Christian Art Show was
inspired by her father Chester Smith's interest.
by CNB