An Image About God

College Church, Taken February 14, 2012

This is an image about God. When I see a church, I immediately associate it with God, and rightly so. A church is often where we go to connect with God and with the community of believers. I find it interesting in this picture that there are no people in the pews. Does that mean God is less of a presence then He would be on a Sunday morning when the full congregation is there? That is what this image is trying to answer. Is God found among the people or is God there all the time. If you look closely you will notice a man sitting on top of the scaffolding. It is almost as if he is trying to get closer to God by sitting on top of metal. 

Cristo Pantocrator, Hagia Sophia 6th Century

The light in this image specifically reminds me of God. I don't know why, but I've often associated light with God. It's ability to shine through small windows and openings reminds me of the way that God can shine through any and every situation. I tried to capture some of the lighting aspect in my own image.

This is a more contemporary of what I think could represent God. I view the plastic dome shape as God. He is covering the child, possibly protecting him. But also, everything the boy sees is through the plastic. When we have faith in God, everything we see is through His perspective. He changes our life and "distorts" it in a way, a good way. That is what this child would be seeing. I also could see this image in the reverse way. The child could be God, separated from the world by a thin film. He can't quite get through, which is often what we do to God. We keep Him in the room, within close reach, but put something over Him so he can't quite get through to us. 

An Interpretation of the Human Body

Catherine Holt, taken January 28, 2012

This image was taken as an interpretation of the contemporary human body. As women, we are told by culture what type of body is "attractive", what we should look like, and how we should act. There are so many negative connotations surround the image of a woman in our culture that I feel are wrong. I have encountered many women in my life that possess the qualities I feel are the most important to a young woman in this day and age. The purpose of this image is to portray a more positive view of women in the 21st century, so I decided not to focus on the body at all, but rather the characteristics that make up the person.

I asked Catherine to choose a word that she felt most represented a quality that women should possess. She chose "strength", so we wrote "strong" on her arm, because she is a strong woman of God. Coming outside of the physical aspect of society and focusing more on the inner self is what this image is about. I purposely did not show her face to try and draw focus away from what she looks like, her outward appearance, and instead chose to focus on the qualities she has that makes her a beautiful young woman. 

Wanderer above the Sea of Fog, Caspar David Friedrich, 1818

Looking at this image I was reminded of the emotion I was trying to capture with my own image. Granted in this painting the entire body is visible as compared to only the face in my own, there is still a similar aspect that a can be drawn out of this image. In this oil painting by Friedrich, we do not see the face of the man, only his back, yet it says a great deal about him and his character. He is standing in the midst of the sea, looking out towards it. He is looking at it as if to say, I am strong and ready to take you on. He is facing his future. I look at this image as a picture of life. The sea looks tormenting but yet beautiful at the same time, which life often is. His hair is windblown and it looks as if he could have been standing there for quite some time.