The Surfing Madonna
By: Mickey Weems, posted by Beachmonkey April 1, 2012 12:09 pm in Social Life
Should She Stay or Should She Go? California’s Surfing Madonna
Mickey Weems
In April 2011, men with hard hats set up a large mural on a wall under a train bridge in Encinitas, California. The image is the famous Mexican religious icon of the Virgin Mary, Our Lady of Guadalupe, riding a white surfboard and catching a choice blue wave, her green cloak billowing about her. Our Lady sports surf booties and an appropriately wide forward stance, yet still has her hands together in prayer. Not that she’s showing off or anything.
Alongside the mural are the words “SAVE THE OCEAN.” Around her is a golden body halo, partially obscured by the cloak. Close inspection of detailed work (such as her face) reveals a mosaic made up of small pieces of glass. People who have seen her say she is stunning.
The problem is, she’s there illegally. The City of Encinitas was not consulted before she dropped in on her wave. In other words, she is an undocumented Mexican surfer-saint.
But Mary is stubborn and refuses to move. The mosaic was fixed to plywood, which was then glued permanently to the concrete. Removing her would not only cost a lot of money, it could irreparably damage her.
Surfing Madonna is quickly becoming a tourist destination. People come from all over to see her. Sometimes they leave her flowers and candles.
If we consider quality of artistry, dramatic presentation (she was installed on Good Friday), the sheer glamour of such a delicate yet tough work in a no-account setting, and positive impact on the local community as a local attraction, Surfing Madonna’s worth is hundreds of thousands of dollars. Maybe millions.
(photo via http://artculture.co... )
But members of Encinitas City Council are stubborn too. They refuse to let her stay, and give various reasons why she is a threat to the community.
1. She is the Virgin Mary on a surfboard. The mural’s disrespectful to Catholics.
2. She is a revered Mexican icon. It is disrespectful to Mexican Americans.
3. She is a Christian religious figure. To have her in a public place undermines the division between church and state. It is disrespectful to non-Christians and Atheists.
4. She is graffiti. If the city leaves this mural up, it might encourage other criminals to illegally produce beautiful art and give it to the public for nothing.
5. Nobody consulted us!
But there is a growing swell of popular support for Surfing Madonna, a big wave that shows no sign of cresting.
What to do?
Our Lady of Subversion
First, some historical background on Our Lady of Guadalupe.
The original image of Our Lady of Guadalupe is not in Mexico. There is a black Virgin of Guadalupe in Spain, a statue carved by Saint Luke of “Gospel of Luke” fame. She was miraculously found in the 1300s by a Christian peasant after she was hidden from Muslims who wanted to destroy her.
There is, of course, no evidence that Luke carved the statue.
The painting of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico first appeared in 1556. She was Mary, the Mother of God, mixed with Tonantzin, Aztec Mother Goddess.
Signs of Tonantzin were hidden within the image of Mary, invisible to church authorities that wanted to destroy her. Aztec peasants saw through the disguise, however, and loved the blend of saint and goddess. Tonantzin-Mary loved them back. She performed miracles after they prayed to her picture, which was kept in a chapel on the same hill that previously had a temple dedicated to Tonantzin before the Spanish tore it down.
The fame of her image led to a fight between Franciscan priests and Dominican priests. The Franciscans didn’t like her. She was painted by an Aztec artist, Marcos Cipac de Aquino, and God would surely not grant miracles to anything made by an Aztec. Besides, how could they trust an Aztec artist? This “Mary” was too much like Tonantzin. All she’d do was inspire the Native Mexicans to stick to their old heathen ways.
But the Dominicans saw her as a bridge, a halfway house between idolatry and the One True Faith of Roman Catholicism. Since the bishop was a Dominican, she stayed. The equivalent of a restraining order was placed on the Franciscans.
One hundred years later, the Roman Catholic Church came out with the official story of the image: the picture is a miracle. God painted her on the cloak of an Aztec peasant named Juan Diego. The painting also repaired itself in 1791 after an accident. In 2002, Juan Diego was made a saint by Pope Juan Pablo II. Historians in the Catholic Church who objected to the divine origins of the image had to chug a big old glass of Shut Up juice.
Coincidentally, there is a kind of juice that is associated with Our Lady of Guadalupe and Tonantzin. It is pulque, a milky white liquor made from a type of agave, also known as the “milk of the Virgin.”
What Do You Think?
So here’s the deal: an environmentally conscious Aztec Mother Goddess who is also a Spanish Virgin Mary with a Native Mexican liquor named after her breast milk is found loitering on a wave under a bridge in Southern California, telling passersby to save the ocean.
1. Is the image
a. graffiti and should be removed
b. art and should be preserved, but moved somewhere else
c. perfect where it is- leave her be
2. Would you go see Surfing Madonna if you were in Encinitas?
a. Yes
b. No
c. Where’s Encinitas?
d. Yes, if she sang “Like a Prayer”- oops, wrong Madonna
Comment below and tell us what you think.
Mickey Weems
In April 2011, men with hard hats set up a large mural on a wall under a train bridge in Encinitas, California. The image is the famous Mexican religious icon of the Virgin Mary, Our Lady of Guadalupe, riding a white surfboard and catching a choice blue wave, her green cloak billowing about her. Our Lady sports surf booties and an appropriately wide forward stance, yet still has her hands together in prayer. Not that she’s showing off or anything.
Alongside the mural are the words “SAVE THE OCEAN.” Around her is a golden body halo, partially obscured by the cloak. Close inspection of detailed work (such as her face) reveals a mosaic made up of small pieces of glass. People who have seen her say she is stunning.
The problem is, she’s there illegally. The City of Encinitas was not consulted before she dropped in on her wave. In other words, she is an undocumented Mexican surfer-saint.
But Mary is stubborn and refuses to move. The mosaic was fixed to plywood, which was then glued permanently to the concrete. Removing her would not only cost a lot of money, it could irreparably damage her.
Surfing Madonna is quickly becoming a tourist destination. People come from all over to see her. Sometimes they leave her flowers and candles.
If we consider quality of artistry, dramatic presentation (she was installed on Good Friday), the sheer glamour of such a delicate yet tough work in a no-account setting, and positive impact on the local community as a local attraction, Surfing Madonna’s worth is hundreds of thousands of dollars. Maybe millions.
(photo via http://artculture.co... )
But members of Encinitas City Council are stubborn too. They refuse to let her stay, and give various reasons why she is a threat to the community.
1. She is the Virgin Mary on a surfboard. The mural’s disrespectful to Catholics.
2. She is a revered Mexican icon. It is disrespectful to Mexican Americans.
3. She is a Christian religious figure. To have her in a public place undermines the division between church and state. It is disrespectful to non-Christians and Atheists.
4. She is graffiti. If the city leaves this mural up, it might encourage other criminals to illegally produce beautiful art and give it to the public for nothing.
5. Nobody consulted us!
But there is a growing swell of popular support for Surfing Madonna, a big wave that shows no sign of cresting.
What to do?
Our Lady of Subversion
First, some historical background on Our Lady of Guadalupe.
The original image of Our Lady of Guadalupe is not in Mexico. There is a black Virgin of Guadalupe in Spain, a statue carved by Saint Luke of “Gospel of Luke” fame. She was miraculously found in the 1300s by a Christian peasant after she was hidden from Muslims who wanted to destroy her.
There is, of course, no evidence that Luke carved the statue.
The painting of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico first appeared in 1556. She was Mary, the Mother of God, mixed with Tonantzin, Aztec Mother Goddess.
Signs of Tonantzin were hidden within the image of Mary, invisible to church authorities that wanted to destroy her. Aztec peasants saw through the disguise, however, and loved the blend of saint and goddess. Tonantzin-Mary loved them back. She performed miracles after they prayed to her picture, which was kept in a chapel on the same hill that previously had a temple dedicated to Tonantzin before the Spanish tore it down.
The fame of her image led to a fight between Franciscan priests and Dominican priests. The Franciscans didn’t like her. She was painted by an Aztec artist, Marcos Cipac de Aquino, and God would surely not grant miracles to anything made by an Aztec. Besides, how could they trust an Aztec artist? This “Mary” was too much like Tonantzin. All she’d do was inspire the Native Mexicans to stick to their old heathen ways.
But the Dominicans saw her as a bridge, a halfway house between idolatry and the One True Faith of Roman Catholicism. Since the bishop was a Dominican, she stayed. The equivalent of a restraining order was placed on the Franciscans.
One hundred years later, the Roman Catholic Church came out with the official story of the image: the picture is a miracle. God painted her on the cloak of an Aztec peasant named Juan Diego. The painting also repaired itself in 1791 after an accident. In 2002, Juan Diego was made a saint by Pope Juan Pablo II. Historians in the Catholic Church who objected to the divine origins of the image had to chug a big old glass of Shut Up juice.
Coincidentally, there is a kind of juice that is associated with Our Lady of Guadalupe and Tonantzin. It is pulque, a milky white liquor made from a type of agave, also known as the “milk of the Virgin.”
What Do You Think?
So here’s the deal: an environmentally conscious Aztec Mother Goddess who is also a Spanish Virgin Mary with a Native Mexican liquor named after her breast milk is found loitering on a wave under a bridge in Southern California, telling passersby to save the ocean.
1. Is the image
a. graffiti and should be removed
b. art and should be preserved, but moved somewhere else
c. perfect where it is- leave her be
2. Would you go see Surfing Madonna if you were in Encinitas?
a. Yes
b. No
c. Where’s Encinitas?
d. Yes, if she sang “Like a Prayer”- oops, wrong Madonna
Comment below and tell us what you think.
