Brazilian artist Vik Muniz is known for using ‘unlikely material’ in his work, and for the way in which that material reflects his reflection on the subjects of his work.

He recreates Michelangelo’s Creation of Adam fresco from the Sistine Chapel ceiling in a pair of photographs that set the famous scene on what looks like the concrete floor of a workshop. Doll parts, miniature furniture, and other small objects constitute the space around them. They show signs of wear but are available for repurposing, reminiscent of the line of interpretation (advanced by medieval Jewish commentators such as Rashi as well as contemporary scholars; e.g. Rogerson 2004: 56–7) that reads in Genesis a creation which makes use of pre-existing materials (as opposed to a creatio ex nihilo).

Among these assembled objects, God and Adam seem larger than life. They also seem less vivid than their surroundings, comparatively devoid of depth and colour. In this way, the figures and the backdrop compete for attention, each drawing the viewer’s eye in different ways.

While Michelangelo’s Creation of Adam occupies a ceiling, Muniz’s work brings it down to earth. The photographs foreground the artisanal aspect of creation that Michelangelo’s work downplays. Although God and Adam still do not touch, their setting amidst a collection of objects presents a view of creation that finds transcendence within physicality rather than beyond it, and that celebrates the power of transformation.

This re-presentation of Michelangelo’s celebrated composition draws attention to the way in which his artwork not only depicts God creating a human, but also constitutes a seminal example of a human creating God. It invites reflection on notions of what it means to be human, on what making an image of God might require of a visual artist (whether in Michelangelo’s time or in our own), and on the relationships between images of God and the settings in which people encounter them.

References

Waste Land. 2011. Directed by Lucy Walker, with João Jardim & Karen Harley http://www.wastelandmovie.com/ [accessed 20 April 2022]

Rogerson, John. 2004. Genesis 1–11: T&T Clark Study Guides (New York: T&T Clark)