Andres Serrano and the “deplorable vulgarity” of ‘Piss Christ’
As he has explained at length, Andres Serrano is a Christian. He has also been accused, mainly by Christians, of creating one of the most offensive artworks to the faith ever to exist, and with a title like (Immersion) Piss Christ, you can see why that would be hard to argue. But since its 1987 unveiling, Serrano has been a steadfast defender of the piece, which is pretty much what it says on the tin – a photograph of a crucifix suspended in urine. It upset nuns, caused a string of protests, and in an odd turn of events, resulted in Serrano being invited to meet Pope Francis.
Without the context of the title, viewers wouldn’t necessarily know what the crucifix was floating in. The orange liquid could have plausibly been amber, but Serrano wasn’t one to shy away from his enthusiastic use of bodily fluids. Two years before Piss Christ made waves, he made Blood Cross, and other choice mediums often included milk and semen.
Despite using piss as a more conventional artist might use paint, Serrano maintained he was controversial almost by accident. “I had no idea Piss Christ would get the attention it did, since I meant neither blasphemy nor offence by it,” he told Vice. “I’ve been a Catholic all my life, so I am a follower of Christ. But I’m an artist, and the role of the artist is to break new ground for himself and for his audience.”
Some Christians felt differently. President Obama was called on to condemn what onlookers called a “deplorable, despicable display of vulgarity”. For a brief period, the artwork was at the centre of a burgeoning culture war about freedom of expression and religion. In 1997, upon learning the piece would be shown at the National Gallery of Victoria, the Catholic Archbishop of Melbourne requested an injunction to stop the public display of Piss Christ. The Supreme Court of Victoria turned him down.
Decades later, in 2023, the piece is as divisive as ever, which made Serrano’s invite to the Sistine Chapel earlier this year even stranger. As part of a campaign to strengthen connections between the church and artists, Pope Francis blessed Serrano and even doled out a thumbs up. Whether the Pope was approving of Piss Christ specifically or Serrano’s entire body of work, we’re not to know.
The literal blessing from the Pope will come as a shock to everyone but Serrano, who has often explained the transgressive nature of his work was a good thing for the faith because it could inspire religious introspection in a very immediate sense the church couldn’t.
For instance, the general public isn’t offended by the ubiquity of the crucifix as an accessory. But as Serrano highlights, in modern times, it’s become entirely divorced from its original context, which is where his work comes in. “What it represents is the crucifixion of a man,” he explained to The Guardian. “And for Christ to have been crucified and laid on the cross for three days where he not only bled to death, he shat himself and he peed himself to death.”
“So if Piss Christ upsets you,” he continued, “Maybe it’s a good thing to think about what happened on the cross.”
