ABOUT THE WORK

Concepts related to faith and religion have featured prominently in Geraldine Javier’s oeuvre. Such is the case with this particular piece titled All-Seeing, where the artist subverts the supposed divinity of God. In her formative years, Javier became deeply exposed to the rudiments of the Catholic faith. This work is representative of Javier’s art from the mid-2000s that questions the Church’s longheld dogmas and teachings. Through these works, Javier critically examines the importance and role of religion in a world that has remarkably veered away from the sacred since the Age of Enlightenment. The work’s title is a double entendre on the notion of God’s omniscience—his infinite awareness and insight. In this piece, Javier depicts God as a towering uncanny figure whose hands resemble the Salvatore Mundi pose. Instead of the right hand raised in blessing, it is directed below, seemingly targeting the mortal domain and implying callousness. His face denotes an evil grin, like a frightening clown that has constantly disturbed our wild imaginations as a child. Behind him is a sinister background, in contrast to the glorious depiction of the heavens in traditional art. The man’s character leads us to question God’s supposed omniscience: As an allknowing being, does God delight in witnessing humanity suffer? Does he possess an egotistical character, reveling in knowing the fact that the more we suffer, the more we unceasingly plead to him? Did God give us free will only to let us suffer the consequences of having such? (A.M.)