Jesus H. Christ

Jesus H. Christ
Michael Loderstedt & Terry Durst
December 1993

Jesus H. Christ was an installation of various materials and artifacts posed as evidence left from an unspecified narrative (a crime, a death, a soured relationship, etc.). The front display wall held a large, framed stone piece made from collected foundation stones carved with names to represent twelve jurors.

The other works – large, collaged photo panels and “shrouds” – were made from photographing and imprinting from each other’s nude bodies. These grisly, disturbing relics were presented as evidential records of an acknowledgement of the transient body.

The exhibition title, Jesus H. Christ, was Terry’s choice after the highly religious “look” of the work. It was meant as a curse, however soft, of a record making treatment of each other as a type of “stand-in” for a deity. As I remember (and I
can’t really), the show had a dark, comic undertone.

Our intention was to use only images derived from each other, as at the time, I (and I think Terry) had become exhausted
with picture making, especially appropriated images as a strategy for art.

A more complete picture of the project could be made by speaking to Terry. I would also say I had a great time working on this, and was amazed by Terry’s intensity toward the work

Michael Loderstedt