Lent: Lorenzo Quinn- Trust

-Pastor Melissa Fain-

This is a continuing Lenten exploration of non-religious artists' take on religion.

This is how I’ve suggested one engages these meditations. 

1. Look at the art without any context. 
2. Read what is written about the artist, the art, and my take.
3. Return to the art with context and see if you view it differently. 

Trust

About the Artist:

Lorenzo Quinn (1966-   ) Son of famous actor, Anthony Quinn, Lorenzo enjoyed a few starring roles himself, before he found his true passion- sculpting. Quinn’s passion is the hands for their technical difficulty. He imbues emotion in his sculptures.

About the Art:

Trust is about being so trusted by someone, you literally hold them in your hand.

My take: 

When I was in college I used to visit the museum located in the theater building. Sometimes it was student work, and sometimes it was guest artists. This one time, when it was a guest artist, it was an artist who focused on hands. Large hands with tiny people upon them. A person searching, and their tiny arm wrapped around  a finger. A bunch of people fleeing a flood, as they run across the palm. These moments of love, hate, fear, and hope. All of them, looking for God and God always there. It captivated me. 

This is not that artist. I wasn’t wise enough half a lifetime ago to write that artist’s name down and remember it. 

I went on an internet search for that artist, and found Quinn in the process. 

My initial thoughts looking at this sculpture, was looking at a person lying in the hand of God. It was because of this, I couldn’t see how terrifying the hand truly was. It’s not open in acceptance. It’s ready to snatch, or crush. This is seen even more clearly when you compare it to his version of Hand of God. That hand is passive. 

Trust is a statement of our danger in playing God. 


How does Trust preach the Word of God to the people of God?