Artist, Mark Ryden, releases his first vinyl toy, YHWH.

“A 3-D representation of “YHWH”, an amorphous pink blobby bunny mini god with multiple eyes taken from Ryden’s painting of the same name, the figure is just beginning to reach the home stretch after dealing with multiple production companies as well as Ryden’s eye for absolute perfection with anything he is affiliated with.” [Full text HERE]

It would be interesting to see how an Orthodox Jew, or Fundamentalist Christian, would interpret a piece like this.  Blasphemy?

In case you didn’t know, YHWH is the unpronounceable name for God.  In Hebrew it contains no vowels, and as one of my friends put it, it would sound more a like a breath, an exhalation, than any recognizable word.  Of course, due to the overall westward expansion of the Judeo Christian heritage, folks couldn’t handle having a name for God that was beyond pronounciation; beyond reason.  As I see it, as the Western world progressed it continually put God in a box; doing away with what didn’t make sense, that which lays beyond the realm of reason, and understanding.  That which was unpronouncable at what time has ultimately become our homeboy; a commodity to be bought and sold, to make life more enjoyable! Right? Gag me.  So, now at this point in the game, we have a prolific artist making a pink vinyl toy with 3 eyes and bunny ears, name YHWH, what are we to do? How are we supposed to interpret this?

I think this piece operates as a mirror, reflecting back onto the viewer.  On one hand you have the person who is knowledgeable about the Judeo Christian narrative, and on the other hand you have the person who is not knowledgeable about this narrative.  If you are acquainted with this narrative and you find that this piece is offensive, why do you think that is?  Is it because this representation of YHWH actually detracts from his being, like an idol?  Is it because the idea of YHWH being a 3 eyed pink dildo-esque figure with bunny ears is completely blasphemous? Or! Or, are you offended because this artwork has actually revealed to you how you actually think about YHWH?  Are you just now realizing that the way you think about God is similar to this toy, a commodity to be bought and sold, to acquire status or credibility among your peers?  Is God now so small that he has moved from an unpronounceable mysterious force in the world to a vinyl toy (inside a box)?

And then you have the person who isn’t acquainted with the history of word YHWH, who, in seeing this piece, is given an opportunity to ponder upon these ideas – who actually takes YHWH out of the box and plays with it, like a child in a blue dress.  Perhaps, by making a pink wobbly 3 eyed monster, it actually creates an opening to think about God as YHWH again; as a mysterious and wonderful creature, beyond our reason and understanding.

Interesting….

Thoughts?