The Analysis of the
Symbolic Justification of the Existence of God
The premise/inspiration of this painting was to paint
the most recognizable image of the western world (the crucifixion
of Jesus), drained of its typical religious symbolism and sentiment
and viewed from a purely objective perspective. The intention
was not to be sacrilegious or to promote a secular viewpoint,
but a viewpoint outside of either realm.
Looking objectively at the importance of this one symbol
as sacrosanct to the religious world, I am also looking at the
reasoning, rational and logic behind "how" a devout
person explains the existence of God and the emotional connection
that is felt towards the symbol of Jesus Christ hanging on the
cross.
One explanation for the existence of God is that the
perfection of genetic engineering is so incredibly complex that
there has to be someone controlling this development and also
some ultimate purpose for all of this development - i.e. the teleologic
explanation. The silhouette of the woman's body on the right side
of the painting symbolizes this perfection of human genetic engineering
and is contrasted within the same form by the duality of the desecration
of this great genetic engineering feat by acts of immorality -
prostitution (the coins falling into the rippling water within
the woman's body), which within religious context is judged as
being morally transgressive ant therefore leading to an adverse
final consequence - finding yourself in hell as opposed to heaven
on judgement day.
Another premise which is difficult to reconcile within
a religious viewpoint is the question "why does God punish
those who are without sin?" (such as an innocent newborn
who suffers extreme pain its entire life and then dies). This
is what the partial image of a writhing face and the image of
the back of a head of a fallen child symbolize on the left side
of the painting.
The dark black universe is the physical representation
of existentialism. The torn area at the upper left of the painting
which reveals the universe symbolizes levels beyond the surface
level.
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