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This caused a big stir last year, and now it's coming back. People are getting pissed again.

Artist bringing 'Chocolate Jesus' back

By David Freedlander, amNewYork Staff Writer

Last spring's "Chocolate Jesus" has been resurrected, but this time the artist hopes the controversy has melted away.

The life-sized sculpture will be included as part of the "Chocolate Saints' Sweet Jesus" show at the Proposition Gallery in Chelsea timed to coincide with All Saints Day on Nov. 1. The show also will feature eight chocolate sculptures of Catholic saints.

The art space is expected to mail invitations next week featuring a "scratch n' sniff" on the breasts of a likeness of the Virgin Mary.

"It sounds pretty sick to me," said John Horvat, a spokesman for the American Society for the Defense of Tradition, Family and Property. "Obviously this man has an agenda. He's targeting very revered religious figures."

The gallery director said critics misunderstood the artist's intentions.

"I see it as basically a show about healing," Ronald Sosinski said. "The sculptures are extremely traditional when you see them in their use of material. When you first see them they look like bronzes."

Last March, the Lab Gallery at the Roger Smith Hotel in midtown displayed "My Sweet Lord" in a ground-floor window. In addition to being fashioned from a confection, it is "anatomically correct" and lacks the loin cloth that traditional depictions of Christ have.

The sculpture set off howls of protest from the likes of Cardinal Edward Egan and others, who objected to what they saw as a deliberately provocative artwork.

"The timing was appalling," said Kiera McCaffrey, a spokesperson for the Catholic League. "That was an upfront assault on Christian sensibilities during Holy Week."

The league, she said, would not protest this exhibit because "it's going to be limited to galleries and people who expect and like that sort of thing. We don't approve of it, but it's a far cry from what we had last spring," with such a public display.

Cosimo Cavallaro, the Canadian-born artist, did not want to reveal where the sculpture has been stored because of threats, said it had to be repaired after mice gnawed at its fingers, toes, and nose.

He also insisted he's not trying to be sensational.

"As an artist I try to be honest with myself," he said. "When I wake up in the morning everything relates to food. I accepted the world of food and ever since then I've been a lot freer."

He also hopes that portraying an anatomically-correct, chocolate Jesus calls people's attention to the fragility of life and the lived experience of Christ.

"Depictions of Jesus in plastic or wood are what I find offensive," he said. "With my work, you don't want it to melt, so you have to be more aware of the time you have with it. It's more alive."


So good Christians, why are people so upset about this? Is it because the sculpture is made of chocolate? Is it because he's anatomically correct and naked? (In which case, would people be upset if he were made of white chocolate and less endowed?)

I will concede that the invitation with the scratch-and-sniff on Mary's breasts is rather tacky, and I can understand why that would upset people. However, I don't get the fuss over the sculptures. This is an artist who works in a medium of food, so why is a chocolate Jesus sculpture (that will not be eaten) any less offensive than the chocolate that is commercially mass-marketed during Easter, particularly edible chocolate crosses?

I am a Christian.

I have no problem with the Jesus sculpture.

The scratch and sniff Mary think is repulsive.

Thank you, your Eminence. I was hoping you'd respond.

Out of curiosity, did you know about the scratch-n-sniff Mary prior to today? I think it's interesting that there's been next to no talk of that, while everything centers around how offensive this chocolate Jesus is.

I did not.

If it was a Chocolate Abreu or scratch-and-sniff Burrell balls, I'd understand the outrage

What the hell are Mary's breasts supposed to smell like?

Joseph's cum.

Ouch.

She was a virgin, no?

Oh...hey.

Virgin Mary with a pearl necklace was definitely not an image I thought would pop into my head today.

Where's she get her favorite Cheesesteak, whats her take on the Jena 6 and does she think McNabb's a tool?

There- get that into the thread and I could totally see it (VM with a Pearl Necklace) being in a thread round here.

I'm outraged that there is a person named "Cosimo Cavallaro."

I would be fine with a chocolate Jesus if he was willing to call a 60-40 pass-run game or if he could get open against press coverage.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Blackjesus05.jpg

Ube, NTFF!!! On both counts.

I think some people get upset because they feel that the image/likeness of Jesus should be done in a tasteful manner. I see this a a complete and valid point.

Things become a problem when the SOLE purpose of the art is to humiliate or slander something that holds a religious and personal meaning to people. Does the chocolate Jesus bother me, no. Does a scratch and sniff Mary, yes. Because it there for the sole purpose to humiliate her image/meaning.

I understand that your not a religious guy Talon, but you would find it in bad taste if an artist wanted to make art about the humiliation of blacks in either violent or mocking manners. They are not religious images to you, but they are beliefs that would offend you in a same manner.

I think some people get upset because they feel that the image/likeness of Jesus should be done in a tasteful manner.

You don't like the taste of chocolate?

Seriously, I'm with people on the Virgin Mary aspect, but that's not why people are protesting. They're saying that sculpting Jesus out of chocolate is somehow humiliating or mocking religion. I mean, what kind of mocking point could possibly be made from that? Is it the edible aspect that freaks people out? What if it were made of cheese? Or bread?

I just don't think that sculpting a religious figure out of a biodegradable substance is offensive. It actually makes a point about the disintegrating nature of life, although I will admit that it is a slight stretch. In all honesty, the artist likely chose chocolate and the cutesy title to drum up publicity, and the zealots fell into the trap. (If everyone ignored him, no one would care and he'd go away.) I think that's also why the gallery chose the scratch-n-sniff Mary for the invitations. They were probably thinking "The controversy died, so how can we get everyone riled up again to attract attention?"

BTW, IMS, based on your last comment, I sincerely hope that when you picture me in your mind I look like Sammy Davis, Jr.

yeah babe

Talon,

You're black now? A guy doesn't show up at the bar for 3 weeks and all of a sudden his buddy is black.

Okay. I get it. I'll be there this weekend before you turn Hispanic and move next door to Seth.

Over the past three weeks I've been going to a tanning salon and have been tipping poorly.

don't forget chasing white women

Talon is always late to tailgates, has a afro and loves the jamacian lettuce. Hmmmmm... you guys might be on to something.

jamaican*

So this chocolate Jesus is really an immaculate confection?

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