Furor over a chocolate sculpture of Jesus closes Cosimo Cavallaro’s exhibit in New York.
Some American Christians are in an uproar over a 6-foot sculpture of a milk-chocolate, crucified and naked Jesus. Montreal-born artist Cosimo Cavallaro’s sculpture, entitled, “My Sweet Lord,” was to be unveiled this week and exhibited at Roger Smith Hotel´s Lab Gallery in Manhattan until Easter Sunday. Now, due to public outcry and threats to the artist, “My Sweet Lord” is being stored in a refrigerated truck at an undisclosed location.
Led by the head of the Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights, Bill Donahue, the accusations against the work of art are the usual ones of insensitivity to religion and moral bankruptcy, along with more aesthetic critiques of the sculpture being “ugly” and a “sickening display.” But what is the precise source of the offense? My question is, are those offended by “My Sweet Lord” more upset by the fact that their savior has been rendered in milk chocolate or by the fact that his loincloth is missing? Media everywhere are calling Cavallo’s Jesus “anatomically correct” as a polite way of saying that you can see his private parts in this one.
Is it more sacreligious to display an edible Jesus or a naked one? Visions of the Lord have appeared to believers in Mexican tortillas and Catholics simulate eating “the body of Christ” every week during Holy Communion, so my vote is on the second option. Nothing gets certain religious groups more riled up than the sight of nakedness. Blood, violence and mutilation may be part and parcel of the symbolism. But showing “the flesh” like it’s an ordinary part of life and death is construed as going too far.
It’s also possible that the naysayers are offended by the choice of materials. To ask a delicate question, is Jesus really all about milk chocolate? Or maybe, when you get right down to it, Jesus is a dark chocolate kind of guy. The point I’m trying to make, with these seemingly irreverent questions, is it’s Easter and everybody knows that Easter is about, well, chocolate, right? It’s that time of year you buy chocolate eggs, chocolate rabbits, a few daffodils for spring and well, why not a chocolate Jesus while we’re at it?
Although Cavallaro denies the timing of the sculpture’s unveiling was strategic, he really couldn’t have picked a better week to explore the ramifications of chocolate and Christianity. Easter, the Christian remembrance of the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ has long been mixed up with the pagan celebration of spring, fertility and new life which has long been mixed up with the transformation of any holiday into a commercial celebration of what-we-can-get-you-to-buy-for-the-kids-in-large-quantities. Tom Waits wrote a song entitled “Chocolate Jesus,” referring to such confusion of religion and consumption.
Cavallaro’s past work has included spraying an entire house with pepperjack cheese, loading a bed with 312 pounds of ham and setting fire to a piano. Pictures of Mr. Chocolate Jesus, labeled “I did it daddy,” as well as Cavallaro’s other works can be viewed at the artist’s website. Chocolate Jesus, Mary and other religious-themed candy can be purchased online. Cavallaro has since received numerous offers to buy the controversial work.
This article was published Tuesday, April 3, 2007.
