“Controversial” Saints: A Study in How Popular Culture Can Radicalize Religious Icons

Abstract

The Catholic pantheon of Saints is a vast and expansive collection of unique characters. Their escapades are outlined primarily in the Bible, but also spread across texts such as the Torah and Quran and even secular spaces. Being raised in the Christian church I was always fascinated by these figures and their depictions in religious stories. However, as a member of the LGBT community I found myself pushed from religion. As I grew older my relationship and perception of religion changed, but my fascination with individuals and their art remained. In recent years I have discovered that many of these beloved saints have come to have radical transformations in their interpretations and use, primarily influenced by modern culture. Yet despite how widespread and beneficial these new interpretations are, the Catholic Church does not acknowledge most of them due to the “controversial” nature of these new identities. “Controversial Saints: A Study in How Pop Culture Can Radicalize Religious Icons” is a study of one such figure, Joan of Arc. Her transformation from heretic to saint to nationalist icon of France is well documented and discussed within the realm of art history and modern media. She has however in recent times assumed the more “controversial” identity as a queer icon for lesbians and gender nonconforming individuals within the LGBT community. The result of these changes has sparked a long-lasting debate over what the “true” identity of Joan of Arc really was and what her role in modern society should be due to how these aspects conflict with the dogma of the Roman Catholic church. For my creative artifact I will be creating an animated digital painting which comments on this debate and addresses the conflict between the LGBT community and the Catholic Church. I will be using the digital painting software Clip Studio paint for the digital painting. For the animation, I will be using the software Live2D which is most often used to create Virtual Youtubers or VTubers for games and live streaming. The combination of these two technologies will result in a dynamic, constantly changing illustration that represents the ongoing debate over who Joan of Arc really is and how the modern digital landscape contributes to the evolution of her identity. It servers as a critique on how Christian religions use the word of God and the Bible as an excuse for bigotry and persecution by subverting Joan of Arc’s actions into something more sinister.