David Kamm
Decorah, Iowa
(In)Visible Transforming Device, 2007
Collage

My response to the white supremacist books focused on the anti-Christian aspects of the material. The Creativity Movement has co-opted much of the language normally associated with traditional religions to lend legitimacy to its message of hate. It became clear as I worked through several ideas for the project that a successful transformation would require addressing both the form and the content of the books. My images began to incorporate the format of a cross, which for Christians is the most personal and potent symbol of the transformative power of love and forgiveness.

This piece was created through a series of cut-and-paste photocopies of pages taken from The White Man’s Bible. The photocopies were again cut and reassembled in a style reminiscent of folk art, perhaps that done with matchsticks. That type of folk art springs from strong convictions often rooted in faith or belief. The deliberate process also lends itself to contemplation or consideration of the message. The cross is more or less apparent in the design, suggesting that the active participation of each person is required to complete the transformation.

Bio
David Kamm created this piece while serving as an artist-in-residence at The Henry Luce III Center for the Arts and Religion at Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington D.C. David is an assistant professor of art and art gallery coordinator at Luther College. He also assists in management of the Luther College Fine Arts Collection. His primary teaching responsibilities are printmaking and art foundations. His studio work focuses on prints, collages, and mixed-media pieces that explore relationships of our physical and spiritual natures to social issues. His work has been included in over 130 group and solo exhibitions.

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