The Optimist

Issue date: 9/7/07 Section: Entertainment

Media Credit: Todd Piersall "The Book of Forty Number Three" at the Shore Art Gallery's new exhibit, "The Next Generation: Contemporary Expressions of Faith"

The pieces of art that now dwell in The Shore Art Gallery give a feeling of spiritual peace and make viewers stare deep into them with wonderment of what they could possibly mean or stand for.

Walking around the gallery and looking deeply into the pieces, I was challenged to look for the real, underlying meaning the
artist wanted to convey to its audience. Some pieces explained themselves, and others were confusing to the eye.

Now, I know art is meant to challenge the brain and make you
think, but there is something about biblical and spiritual art that is even more challenging. It was like reading the Bible for the first time with no one there to explain anything to you. For some, this complex artwork might not sound appealing, but
for others like myself, I find the brain-straining challenge rewarding.

The artwork ranged from paintings, sculptures, photos and others various ways to express oneself.

One painting that stood out depicted Matthew
19:24, "Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the
kingdom of God." In the middle of the painting was a big camel, and all around the camel were different types of rich men. The men varied from wearing masks to being dressed in king's clothes, and many of the men were staring at the camel.

I believe they were staring at the camel out of jealousy. This picture was very bright and evoked many questions
while looking at it.

The artist of the painting, James Dishey, said, "Mostly I offer this painting to celebrate with you the glorious absurdity of
our human predicament."

I found this statement to be entirely true when I went back and looked at what Dishey had created. All of the men in the picture were doing absurd things, which would indefinitely depict why the camel could pass through the eye of a needle faster than they could get into heaven.

As I moved beyond Dishey's painting, I came across a Wheaties
box with Jesus' picture on the front. This piece caught my eye because the artist, David E. Levine, used a modernday

Continued...

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