Chocolate Jesus

Chocolate Jesus may refer to: Cosimo Cavallaro's sculpture My Sweet Lord (see Cosimo Cavallaro); to another life-size chocolate sculpture which predates Cavallo's by 13 years -- Trans-substantiation 2 -- a work by Australian artist and student of philosophy Richard Manderson; or to a group of approximately 100 smaller confections also made by Manderson.

Cosimo Cavallaro

Cavallaro's first sculpture was damaged by rodents in storage and subsequently recreated in 2007 for a Holy Week display at the Lab Gallery at the Roger Smith Hotel in Manhattan. The planned exhibition was cancelled following death threats which may have been sparked by Bill Donahue's comment during a CNN interview of Cavallaro calling the sculpture "one of the worst assaults on Christian sensibilities ever" [1]. The sculpture depicted an 'anatomically correct' Jesus, the central figure of Christianity in an attitude of crucifixion, and with no loincloth..

Richard Manderson

Though Cavallaro's work was partially eaten by rodents, incidental to its storage in Brooklyn, Richard Manderson's various Jesuses were intended to be eaten. [2]

His first series of small raspberry fondant filled chocolate Jesuses were sold by Gorman House markets. Gorman House Arts Centre in Canberra is a "cultural centre and heritage site" which includes theatres, workshops, exhibition space, artists' studios, offices and a café.

His later 1994 work Trans-substantiation 2 was also intended for consumption: Manderson felt that what had originated as a solemn holiday in contemplation of the resurrection of Christ had become a "rather ugly period of over consumption". The life-sized chocolate Jesus was an allusion to the belief by some Christians in the transubstantiation of the host wafer and communion wine during the Christian ritual of Communion. Believers in this trans-substantiation hold that the wine and wafer miraculously become the actual Body and Blood of the Holy Saviour.

Though wrapped in a loincloth made of "Easter-egg foil", Manderson's Jesus was not 'anatomically correct'. After its Easter, 1994 exhibition, Richard Manderson invited the public to come and eat his chocolate Jesus.

See also

• Easter
• Eucharist
• Cosimo Cavallaro
• Piss Christ

Music

Chocolate Jesus is also a song written by Tom Waits and performed on his 1999 album, "Mule Variations," and covered by artists such as Martin Harley.