The Burnt Offering. 122 x 155 cm,(4 x 5 feet). Denis Brown, 1995

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The text, from Leviticus in the Bible, graphically explains the ritual slaughter and offering of animal sacrifices to the Lord. Here the Word itself is presented as a burnt offering.

This and other works from my "Leviticus" series were an aggressive dissent from those who follow the letter of scripture and miss the spirit. Ironic presentations of extreme biblical texts that no one would advocate today, were directed againtst the bigotry inherent in overly literal advocations of scripture, for example, to justify homophobia, or the continued subjugation of women within Christian Church hierarchies.

While my work from this period was blunt and pedantic, those who see these works as pure anger are missing my celebrations of wild colour ,imagery and symbolism. It was a very dynamic work period for me at the time.

The series contains controversial images and ideas, the works were made at a time when I was tired of people admiring calligraphy without even reading the text. I incorporated extreme texts in an attempt to force the viewer to engage more fully with the works.

©2007 Denis Brown  |  www.quillskill.com