New and Different Easter Chocolate

[foodnfoto]

Hi All
There's a new art controversy brewing here in New York. An exhibition by artist Cosimo Cavallaro has been cancelled due to outraged response from religious groups. Cosimo's work is a 6 foot anatomically correct figure of a man in a hanging cruciform position. It's sculpted entirely from milk chocolate.
Here's the link to the artist's website-but I should warn the religiously sensitive that you might not like some of this work.

http://www.cosimocavallaro.com/
If you go, check out "candy"--it's remarkable.

I'm posting this in the pastry chefs forum because the chocolate is beautifully tempered and has a wonderful glow.

Cosimo is a friend of my daughter and her husband. I met him at their wedding and we shared some wonderful conversation. Nice guy.

You might also want to google links to his " cheese house" Wow!

[foodnfoto]

Here's the article about the cancelling from today's New York Times and the Associated Press:

Chocolate Jesus Show Canceled

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published: March 30, 2007
Filed at 7:36 p.m. ET

NEW YORK (AP) -- A planned Holy Week exhibition of a nude, anatomically correct chocolate sculpture of Jesus Christ was canceled Friday after Cardinal Edward Egan and other outraged Catholics complained.

The ''My Sweet Lord'' display was shut down by the hotel that houses the Lab Gallery in midtown Manhattan. Roger Smith Hotel president James Knowles cited the public outcry for his decision.

The reaction ''is crystal clear and has brought to our attention the unintended reaction of you and other conscientious friends of ours to the exhibition,'' Knowles wrote in the two-paragraph cancellation notice.

Matt Semler, the gallery's creative director, resigned in protest.

The six-foot sculpture was the victim of ''a strong-arming from people who haven't seen the show, seen what we're doing,'' Semler said. ''They jumped to conclusions completely contrary to our intentions.''

But word of the confectionary Christ infuriated Catholics, including Egan, who described it as ''a sickening display.'' Bill Donohue, head of the watchdog Catholic League, said it was ''one of the worst assaults on Christian sensibilities ever.''

The hotel and the gallery were overrun Thursday with angry phone calls and e-mails about the exhibit. Semler said the calls included death threats over the work of artist Cosimo Cavallaro, who was described as disappointed by the decision to cancel the display.

''In this situation, the hotel couldn't continue to be supportive because of a fear for their own safety,'' Semler said.

The sculpture was to debut Monday evening, the day after Palm Sunday and just four days before Roman Catholics mark the crucifixion of Jesus Christ on Good Friday. The final day of the exhibit was planned for Easter Sunday.

The artwork was created from more than 200 pounds of milk chocolate, and features Christ with his arms outstretched as if on an invisible cross. Unlike the typical religious portrayal of Christ, the Cavallaro creation does not include a loincloth.

Cavallaro hoped the sculpture could go on display elsewhere, according to Semler.

Cavallaro is best known for his quirky work with food as art: Past efforts include repainting a Manhattan hotel room in melted mozzarella, spraying five tons of pepper jack cheese on a Wyoming home, and festooning a four-poster bed with 312 pounds of processed ham.

[jessiquina]

that is fantastic work!

[chefpeon]

Gasp! Yes, the way God made us, and his son Jesus Christ is truly disgusting, isn't it? For cryin' out loud. Maybe his next project should be Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden (pre-snake incident), because they were naked too!!!! Remember, bein' naked was totally ok until that crazy serpent got all involved.

Of course, for Easter, I'd say a Chocolate Jesus is totally appropriate. As a person who always eats the chocolate bunny's ears first, I'd have a totally new (and fun) part to bite off this time around.......

Regarding the artist, I'd say he is probably no stranger to controversy anyway......if you have a look at some of his other work, like "mouse" and "birth" and "death" and "ham bed", I'm sure this is business as usual for him.

As an artist myself, I can appreciate the milk chocolate Jesus.....there's some real sculpting talent there......what I don't understand, however, is putting a bunch of sliced ham on a bed and calling it art. I find that much more "horrifying" for lack of a better word. If putting food in a bed is art, then I'm the freakin' Picasso of cracker crumbs.

[chrose]

From an artist point of view I thought it was a very impressive sculpture, but any time there is a hint of religion in something the religious right and the holier than thou attitudes sweep down to show intolerance. For a group that is supposed to be tolerant and loving they show none of that. There is the old saying "WWJD" (What would Jesus do) I think he would be impressed and, or appreciative. But there are none so intolerant as those that profess to be so tolerant. And you have to love the death threat aspect Oy, once again we see the root of humankinds problems

[foodnfoto]

And all this from the ones that eat his flesh and drink his blood (literally) every Sunday morning.


...go figure!?!?!?!?