This is another image with a theme about being conflicted about religion. It didn’t pop out when I was shooting, but when I looked at the image later, I couldn’t help but see baleful eyes, angry eyebrows, and a gaping maw, ready to devour. It reminds me of how fear has been an essential part of almost all religions since the dawn of humanity, with the message being worship me or die.
Over the last couple of years I have gone from lukewarm Christian to resigned atheist (in a family of Christians), so when it comes to taking pictures with a religious theme I’m sort of conflicted — I like the grand traditions of Christian art, architecture and music (especially the latter, and I don’t mean Christian rock!), but I am now considering it from behind the glass window of non-belief. I took this picture a couple of weeks ago — I was part of the choir at a wedding in the chapel of Trinity College, University of Tor0nto. the choir stalls are in a raised gallery at the back of the chapel, as as I was early I had time for a few pictures. For me, the image is symbolic: the setting and architecture have beauty, but it is empty.
As a born-again agnostic, I feel a bit conflicted when making images with religious themes. I am still drawn to religious architecture and some liturgical music, but right now that’s as far as it goes. The image below is from the Dome cathedral in Cologne. I was drawn by the atmosphere, ritual and sense of history, but that’s about as far as it goes right now.
I was around Yonge and Dundas in Toronto last weekend with my old Nikkormat film camera, when I saw the religious debate pictured below. It was certainly a spirited discussion, but it did not come to blows, or result in any acts of terrorism or wars of aggression.
Given how many places in the world where this kind of discourse would be sadly unthinkable, it’s just one more reason why I am happy to live in Toronto
My Third Eye 