Jesus goes to the bank
28th November 2009
The Exhibit is on display at Park State Bank Woodland Park Colorado, From November 19th thru January 13th During Normal Banking Hours.
By Kendrick
Jesus goes to the bank. Not the temple where the moneychangers were, but the bank. Park State Bank, in Woodland Park. And he doesn’t throw over tables and spill all the money. He comes in quietly with a tear running down the white marble of his right cheek.
As his creator carries him into the foyer by the coffee machine under the pretty winding staircase and skylight 30-feet above, a woman watching suddenly says to all, “Look, he’s crying!”
And as everyone turns to look into his face, they see it too. Condensation has formed a drop of moisture clearly visible to the eye. Running like a tear, down the face of the sculpture of Jesus.
Another lady watching said, “Yeah, but can he turn water into money?”
Master artist D. Edward, of South Park, Colorado, in quiet humility, smiled at seeing his work, “Love of Jesus” esteemed. This stunning masterpiece will no doubt be claimed for real money by a foundation or other group lucky enough to “get-it” first. Latecomers can bid on Edward’s next wonder: Jesus emerging from white clouds of the same faultless Colorado Yule marble. The same glorious white marble used for the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, and the Lincoln Memorial, in Washington D.C. Mined from the same quarry above the Crystal River in the West Elk Mountains, overlooking Marble, Colorado.
“Look to the rock from which you were cut,” one Old Testament prophet wrote. The cross Jesus died on was located in a quarry where stones were cut. His followers have interpreted this to mean they’ve been cut like spiritual stones from the quarry that produced the messiah.
The life-size image of this Christ quarried from Yule marble is posed with left hand touching his chest and right hand open and extended in a peaceful gesture. The expression on his face is firm, yet gentle. His eyes are cut so that light gets back inside of them, and the figure stands raised on a step of stone.
“The first hit of the chisel was on Christmas Day, 2002. And I signed it on Easter Day, 2004,” said Edward telling of the religiously significant dates. He’d gone to the mine and pre-signed it before they pulled it out of the wall. Then worked on it through the emotions of the times he was living.
“It was overwhelming,” he said, “I felt as if I was removing stone from the material to free Jesus, when Jesus was moving a wall to free me.”
Edward spoke intently in describing the feeling of empowerment he believes to be in art: “Most art comes from the creative force, and where does the creative force come from? We are able to dip into it. All art is dipping into the creative force in some way.”
As a youth, Edward dipped the tip of his Boy Scout knife into the force. Working with a little piece of wood to start, then moving to ever-larger carvings until he was using a hammer and chisel on much larger works.
His finest efforts in wood came together in a human-like winged figure bowing on its knees carved from a tree he found laying across a creek in Ohio. Not a cherubim or seraphim, but a life-like bowing figure with its wings lying outstretched in front of it covering its head.
The message of the figure? “You’ve got to fold your wings to the One who gave them to you before you can fly,” said the artist.
Wood being unreliable for larger carvings, friend and fellow craftsman “Francisco,” the creator of “American Woman,” gave Edward his first block of stone. Leaping into carving this block in 1985 was like a dream come true, and Edward has been working exclusively with the finest white marble ever since.
“It’s more of an elite medium,” he nodded. “More challenging.”
Colorado Yule is considered the purest of white marble with a tight, dense crystal composition. There are only three quarries in the world with similar white deposits. The Yule says they’re just reaching the mountain’s purest and best marble, while the Vermont Danby Quarry claims to be the biggest of the three, and Carrera, Italy is almost been mined out from centuries of use.
Going to the Yule mine to get Jesus was a powerful experience to Edward because of its sheer grandeur and fascinating history. Access to the marble these days can be attributed to explosives expert Rick Batista of Florissant, who led the team that reopened the mine in 1990.
“To get Jesus to the Park was one thing,” Batista said, “but to get him out of the mountain was a whole story in itself,”
Rick and crew built a road 7 miles across the treacherous steep mountainside, dug new tunnels into the main shafts of the mine, shored up crumbling columns within and otherwise forcefully got it done. The last time the mine had opened prior, since the 1800’s, was in 1941 when a single block of the pure white rock was cut for the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.
Park State Bank President Tony Perry, who invited Jesus to the bank says, “This is not meant to create controversy, but is presented in hopes the community will find it uplifting.”
Good friend CR Chambers referred Edward’s art to the banker after doing some photo shoots. The bank has a record of displaying art in Woodland, including showings from such greats as Salvador Dali’, Picasso and Van Gogh. Perry said it was an easy decision to include a sculpture, as skillfully made, by a local artist.
Looking back at an old map of the mining town of Marble, with claims marked in rectangular shapes, it’s evident that all the major downtown streets were laid out parallel to the Crystal River.
Marble’s first two streets coming from the river, just happening to be Park then State. With Woodland heading into the holiday season of faith, could there be a little irony to a Yule Jesus showing up at Park State Bank right now?
The faith-based work comes in on the heels of a combined effort by the community to complete Woodland’s recent “Main Street Makeover,” an idea brought by Perry to give the downtown area a facelift.
Forty-five years since the bank opened, Perry says, “This is the most trying time in the bank’s history.” Seeing every sector of the marketplace struggling the bank president says he believes for a better future, “Our best days are ahead.”
The sculptor hopes his best days are ahead, as he finds a place for his Jesus long-term, so he can focus on creating new works.
“I would like to find a proper home for him,” says the artist. But for now, being offered a temporary place to weather the economic storm is “an honor.”
And though the bank predicts another tough year for the region, state and nation, D. Edward suggests there may be other possibilities: “I’m a sculptor, I’m not a preacher. But when you ask Jesus for help, miracles happen.”
By Kendrick
Jesus goes to the bank. Not the temple where the moneychangers were, but the bank. Park State Bank, in Woodland Park. And he doesn’t throw over tables and spill all the money. He comes in quietly with a tear running down the white marble of his right cheek.
As his creator carries him into the foyer by the coffee machine under the pretty winding staircase and skylight 30-feet above, a woman watching suddenly says to all, “Look, he’s crying!”
And as everyone turns to look into his face, they see it too. Condensation has formed a drop of moisture clearly visible to the eye. Running like a tear, down the face of the sculpture of Jesus.
Another lady watching said, “Yeah, but can he turn water into money?”
Master artist D. Edward, of South Park, Colorado, in quiet humility, smiled at seeing his work, “Love of Jesus” esteemed. This stunning masterpiece will no doubt be claimed for real money by a foundation or other group lucky enough to “get-it” first. Latecomers can bid on Edward’s next wonder: Jesus emerging from white clouds of the same faultless Colorado Yule marble. The same glorious white marble used for the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, and the Lincoln Memorial, in Washington D.C. Mined from the same quarry above the Crystal River in the West Elk Mountains, overlooking Marble, Colorado.
“Look to the rock from which you were cut,” one Old Testament prophet wrote. The cross Jesus died on was located in a quarry where stones were cut. His followers have interpreted this to mean they’ve been cut like spiritual stones from the quarry that produced the messiah.
The life-size image of this Christ quarried from Yule marble is posed with left hand touching his chest and right hand open and extended in a peaceful gesture. The expression on his face is firm, yet gentle. His eyes are cut so that light gets back inside of them, and the figure stands raised on a step of stone.
“The first hit of the chisel was on Christmas Day, 2002. And I signed it on Easter Day, 2004,” said Edward telling of the religiously significant dates. He’d gone to the mine and pre-signed it before they pulled it out of the wall. Then worked on it through the emotions of the times he was living.
“It was overwhelming,” he said, “I felt as if I was removing stone from the material to free Jesus, when Jesus was moving a wall to free me.”
Edward spoke intently in describing the feeling of empowerment he believes to be in art: “Most art comes from the creative force, and where does the creative force come from? We are able to dip into it. All art is dipping into the creative force in some way.”
As a youth, Edward dipped the tip of his Boy Scout knife into the force. Working with a little piece of wood to start, then moving to ever-larger carvings until he was using a hammer and chisel on much larger works.
His finest efforts in wood came together in a human-like winged figure bowing on its knees carved from a tree he found laying across a creek in Ohio. Not a cherubim or seraphim, but a life-like bowing figure with its wings lying outstretched in front of it covering its head.
The message of the figure? “You’ve got to fold your wings to the One who gave them to you before you can fly,” said the artist.
Wood being unreliable for larger carvings, friend and fellow craftsman “Francisco,” the creator of “American Woman,” gave Edward his first block of stone. Leaping into carving this block in 1985 was like a dream come true, and Edward has been working exclusively with the finest white marble ever since.
“It’s more of an elite medium,” he nodded. “More challenging.”
Colorado Yule is considered the purest of white marble with a tight, dense crystal composition. There are only three quarries in the world with similar white deposits. The Yule says they’re just reaching the mountain’s purest and best marble, while the Vermont Danby Quarry claims to be the biggest of the three, and Carrera, Italy is almost been mined out from centuries of use.
Going to the Yule mine to get Jesus was a powerful experience to Edward because of its sheer grandeur and fascinating history. Access to the marble these days can be attributed to explosives expert Rick Batista of Florissant, who led the team that reopened the mine in 1990.
“To get Jesus to the Park was one thing,” Batista said, “but to get him out of the mountain was a whole story in itself,”
Rick and crew built a road 7 miles across the treacherous steep mountainside, dug new tunnels into the main shafts of the mine, shored up crumbling columns within and otherwise forcefully got it done. The last time the mine had opened prior, since the 1800’s, was in 1941 when a single block of the pure white rock was cut for the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.
Park State Bank President Tony Perry, who invited Jesus to the bank says, “This is not meant to create controversy, but is presented in hopes the community will find it uplifting.”
Good friend CR Chambers referred Edward’s art to the banker after doing some photo shoots. The bank has a record of displaying art in Woodland, including showings from such greats as Salvador Dali’, Picasso and Van Gogh. Perry said it was an easy decision to include a sculpture, as skillfully made, by a local artist.
Looking back at an old map of the mining town of Marble, with claims marked in rectangular shapes, it’s evident that all the major downtown streets were laid out parallel to the Crystal River.
Marble’s first two streets coming from the river, just happening to be Park then State. With Woodland heading into the holiday season of faith, could there be a little irony to a Yule Jesus showing up at Park State Bank right now?
The faith-based work comes in on the heels of a combined effort by the community to complete Woodland’s recent “Main Street Makeover,” an idea brought by Perry to give the downtown area a facelift.
Forty-five years since the bank opened, Perry says, “This is the most trying time in the bank’s history.” Seeing every sector of the marketplace struggling the bank president says he believes for a better future, “Our best days are ahead.”
The sculptor hopes his best days are ahead, as he finds a place for his Jesus long-term, so he can focus on creating new works.
“I would like to find a proper home for him,” says the artist. But for now, being offered a temporary place to weather the economic storm is “an honor.”
And though the bank predicts another tough year for the region, state and nation, D. Edward suggests there may be other possibilities: “I’m a sculptor, I’m not a preacher. But when you ask Jesus for help, miracles happen.”
