Steve Ross
Western art contains a deep tradition of depicting the Virgin Mary. As a skeptical Christian I love to engage with this tradition but with an eye towards the more problematic and challenging questions that inevitably surface when I start to think about what she represents, not just as a symbol but also as a real person.
In this portrayal, I wanted to challenge the almost monolithic gender conformity with which Mary is presented in Western art. Throughout a lot of art, Mary is often presented as non-threatening to the status quo, as meek and mild. But I don’t see it that way. I see Mary as an icon of rebellion and a counter cultural juggernaut. Shaved head, breast feeding in public, not afraid to look you straight in the eye, Mary is giving zero fucks today.