Artist behind controversial photograph in Fredericton gallery defends it as ‘sacred’

The artist behind a photograph that has drawn sharp criticism says the controversy surrounding its display in Fredericton misses the work's intended meaning. Andres Serrano, an American photographer, created 'Piss Christ' in 1987. The polarizing piece, part of his 'Incarnate' series, features a crucifix submerged in the artist's own urine.

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Piss Christ, if it upsets you, it should upset you because the death of Christ was very upsetting. But he died for our sins.

Serrano, who identifies as a lifelong Christian, views the work as sacred art. He told Global News that any upset caused by the image should stem from the upsetting nature of Christ's death, for which he died for humanity's sins. The artwork has been divisive since its creation, facing opposition from religious figures and groups worldwide. In 1997, the Catholic Archbishop of Melbourne attempted to block its exhibition, and in France, protesters damaged the piece with a hammer in 2011; the broken glass remains part of the display.

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I see is as a work of sacred art. I’m not only an artist, I’m a Christian, I’ve been a Christian all my life, and so for me, it’s a Christian work of art.

'Piss Christ' is now on display at the Beaverbrook Art Gallery in New Brunswick until November 29, on loan from the Rennie Collection in Vancouver. This marks its first exhibition in Atlantic Canada in about 30 years, according to gallery executive director Bernard Doucet. He sees the exhibit as a catalyst for a series focusing on religious and ecclesiastical art, emphasizing that art is meant to evoke varied responses.

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It’s been about 30 years since the work was last shown in a public institution in Canada.

However, the decision to exhibit the work has faced pushback. John Williamson, the Member of Parliament for Saint John–St. Croix, called the artwork "beneath our museum's storied tradition" and suggested it was something expected from a "third-rate gallery." Bishop Christian Riesbeck of the Diocese of Saint John expressed that many Christians perceive the piece not as critique, but as "a form of contempt directed toward Jesus Christ," while acknowledging the Church does not seek to censor art.

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The experience of seeing art is a deeply personal one. Artists make things to inspire all sorts of responses or reactions from everyone that ever looks at their work, as long as it exists.