Warhol's Icons

Heeding the warnings of Byzantine Emperors

Golden Marilyn, 1962

I've been busy these past few days, with visitors and also updating my website and completing a design study. I'll be posting on those soon.

Meanwhile, a lot has been going on. The Pope initiated a scholarly dialogue about Islam, and has had to make some amends with public relations meetings with Muslim leaders.

He quoted a Byzantine Emperor’s interaction with a Persian scholar, on the nature of Mohammed.

An exhibition entitled Andy Warhol / Supernova Stars, Deaths and Disasters is currently on show at the Art Gallery of Ontario.

Now, there is a connection somewhere, which I will try to elaborate in a later blog entry and possibly an essay.

Mainly, that Warhol, who was Byzantine Catholic, produced some very iconic-like works which are reminiscent of the Byzantine religious imagery.

If the Byzantine Emperor were to see Warhol’s imagery, given that his Empire went through the infamous Iconoclastic period where icons were destroyed following the 10th commandment’s ordinance against worshiping graven images:

Exodus 20:4-5 4 Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. 5 Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them

I wonder what he would think of Warhol’s art? And does art like Warhol put Christian civilizations at risk for the kind of Islamic invasions the Byzantine Emperor was describing?

The whole of Warhol’s life, and not just his art, appears to be forsaking these very Biblical verses. He made iconic images of famous stars and people who were the subject of admiration, at the very least, by great numbers of people, including himself.

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St. Paul's Conversion

Depictions in Images

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Left, Conversion on the Way to Damascus,Caravaggio,1601


Right,The Conversion of Saul, Fresco by Michelangelo, 1542-45


[Click on images to see larger versions]

And here is a late Medieval one by a less-well-known French painter Jean Fouquet (Paul's Conversion). Less emotional, but still full of symbolism. And Saul's horse is ever present. I couldn't find detailed information on it, but I think it is part of an illuminated manuscript, with the curved writing at the top, and the simple formality of its design.

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The Road to Damascus

Our daily reminder

Paul's conversion occurred while he was traveling to Damascus to continue his persecution of the early Christians. His earliest preaching was conducted in this city. It is profoundly ironic that this first city of Paul’s evangelization has become such a tormented region. The latest attack on the American Embassy by yet another Muslim terrorist group Jund al-Sham is reminiscent of the persecutions that Paul faced.

There is nothing more jarring than reading the latest violence occurring in those Biblical sites. Early persecutions mimic modern-day ones. The story is the same - an attempt to annihilate the new belief that Paul taught and spread. Perhaps there is a reason for this incessant battle. To remind us that every day is a battle against sinners and destroyers. The larger allegory fits our smaller, mundane, lives.

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The Red and the White of it All

The Pope on matters of life and death

Well, now the Pope can add this “Saturno” hat to his red Prada shoes.

As always, fashion and function will be points of contention. I think the Pope understands and appreciates too well their junction. Wide rimmed hat, for protection against the sun. Comfortable, well-made Italian shoes, for walking in!

But, true to the core of the new Pope, he also had something to say about Canada’s stance on same-sex marriage and abortion.

These were his exact words:

In the name of tolerance your country has had to endure the folly of the redefinition of spouse, and in the name of freedom of choice it is confronted with the daily destruction of unborn children.

The Pope has standards, as his attire and his words clearly demonstrate.

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Which One is Fatima?

A Muslim family snap shot

Over at the View from the Right there is an image of a group of women in long, dark hijabs being photographed by a crouching man in a white robe with a white skull cap (Muslim, of course.)

What a study of contrasts!

- One man vs. several women.


- The dark, heavy clothes of the women vs. the man's light and airy robe and sandals - it does look like spring or summer from the background jean and t-shirt clad people.


- The indistinguishable women vs. the clearly identifiable man.


- The streamlined, almost militaristically aligned women vs. the man with his daintily arranged fingers on the camera who, despite his precariousness, is obviously in charge.

All this begs the question, "Which one is Fatima?"

And why does "Fatima" put up with this?

Incomprehensible from our standpoint. And all jokes aside:

"Do you think these people are compatible with our civilization?"

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