The Messiah, and Other Religious Truths

AOA NEWSBy Ernest Britton

"The Dogwood Tree" by Thornton Dial

INDIANA - The most exciting exhibition in America today may well be Thornton Dial's (b. 1928) amazing retrospective, "Hard Truths" at the Indianapolis Museum of Art. It is a masterwork of repression, refuse and redemption, and the response on Twitter, Facebook and the news media has been equally enthusiastic. In his 2003 "The Dogwood Tree" (above), Dial places a piece of real dogwood beneath the central figure of the black Messiah. It's an easily identifiable image but still transformative especially for those who have heard that Christ's cross was constructed of dogwood (It wasn't but it's a beautiful tale). It is visual art storytelling of this type that gripes you throughout this huge exhibit that also includes imagery of the death of Princess Diana, American racism, fires in California and the tragedy of 9-11. I hope you won't miss it but I also apologize, because in last week's preview post I neglected to share the closing date for the show (as one reader e-mailed). The show, "Hard Truths" runs through September 18 at the Indianapolis Museum of Art.