Member Dismemberment - The Creation of Adam
9:00 PM
Member Dismemberment
A Look at Limbs
Curated by Kate Sims
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| Michelangelo, The Creation of Adam, 1511 |
"So God created man in His Own Image, in The Image of God He created him; male and female He created them. God blessed them and said to them, "Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground." Then God said, "I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food. And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds of the air and all the creatures that move on the ground - everything that has the breath of life in it - I give every green plant for food." And it was so. God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning - the sixth day." Genesis 1:27-31
Step inside the Sistine Chapel and try to look down, left, right, anywhere but up. It is impossible. You don’t notice the hundreds of other tourists, packed in like sardines. Their incessant murmurs become white noise along with the docents gentle “shhhhing.” You become enthralled by Michelangelo’s massive ceiling works. Their size, color, and raw passion capture both your attention and emotion. Nine scenes from the Book of Genesis dominate the ceiling, but one particularly breathtaking scene, The Creation of Adam, captures the attention of onlookers as well as its own spot in the Art History Hall of Fame.
In this collection, titled Member Dismemberment, I will explore the importance of limbs, specifically arms, and their contributions to the art world. Limbs display a specific emotion that viewers unknowingly relate to. I will begin, as seems fitting, with the beginning, or creation of humans. Viewing The Creation of Adam begins at the center of the painting, where God reaches out and Adam meets him halfway. This mirroring of arms represents the image of man created in God’s likeness. The hands are purposely not touching as God imparts the spark of life into Adam. Now, in regards to his arms, God’s right arm and hand of power is actively extended. While Adam, rather nonchalantly, slouches back, not seeking after God, and rests. His arm only extends to his knee where it rests. Adam’s drooping arm and limp wrist displays his reliance on God. The strength of one arm and weakness in another shows the relationship between God and man, and foreshadows the expulsion from the garden.
In this collection, titled Member Dismemberment, I will explore the importance of limbs, specifically arms, and their contributions to the art world. Limbs display a specific emotion that viewers unknowingly relate to. I will begin, as seems fitting, with the beginning, or creation of humans. Viewing The Creation of Adam begins at the center of the painting, where God reaches out and Adam meets him halfway. This mirroring of arms represents the image of man created in God’s likeness. The hands are purposely not touching as God imparts the spark of life into Adam. Now, in regards to his arms, God’s right arm and hand of power is actively extended. While Adam, rather nonchalantly, slouches back, not seeking after God, and rests. His arm only extends to his knee where it rests. Adam’s drooping arm and limp wrist displays his reliance on God. The strength of one arm and weakness in another shows the relationship between God and man, and foreshadows the expulsion from the garden.
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