Queer Creation in art: Who says God didn’t create Adam and Steve?

“Adam And Steve In Eden” by Tony De Carlo






Who says God didn’t create Adam and Steve? Artist Tony De Carlo affirms the goodness of same-sex love by painting the original gay couple.



He reimagines the Biblical creation story from a queer viewpoint. It’s visual theology in response to those who oppose LGBT rights with the foolish argument that “God made Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve.”



De Carlo has done more than 20 paintings of Adam and Steve as the original gay couple. I am posting some of them today for the annual Queer Theology Synchroblog. The theme this year is “Queer Creation.” A synchroblog is when a group of people all write about the same topic on the same day and post it to their personal blogs. We are creating our own queer versions of the creation myth.



De Carlo is a native of Los Angeles, now living in Savannah, Georgia. Raised Catholic, he started painting religious subjects to counteract the church’s demonization of LGBT people. His paintings confront the hypocrisy of the church, which has a long history of homoerotic images but condemns homosexuality. His work is exhibited regularly in museums and galleries throughout the United States.



Watch the relationship between Adam and Steve unfold -- usually with the snake and forbidden fruit from the creation story in Genesis.






“Adam Y Steve” by Tony De Carlo







"Adam and Yves" by Tony de Carlo







“Adam and Steve, Ants and Bees” by Tony de Carlo, 2013







"Domestic Life of Adam and Steve" by Tony de Carlo







"Adam and Steve and Child" by Tony de Carlo, 2013





"Adam and Steve on the Farm" by Tony de Carlo







"Adam and Steve in Hawaii" by Tony de Carlo, 2013







“Adam and Steve and the Banana Tree” by Tony De Carlo





“Adam and Steve in 14 Countries” by Tony De Carlo shows them on an island made of flags from the countries that recognized marriage equality when he painted it earlier this year.


For more on Tony De Carlo and his art, see my previous post:

Gay saints, Adam & Steve, and marriage equality art affirms LGBT love: Tony De Carlo Interview (Jesus in Love)



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Related links:

TonyDeCarlo.com



Tony De Carlo on Facebook



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This post is part of the Artists series by Kittredge Cherry at the Jesus in Love Blog. The series profiles artists who use lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender (LGBT) and queer spiritual and religious imagery.



Copyright © Kittredge Cherry. All rights reserved.

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Jesus in Love Blog on LGBT spirituality and the arts