Prayer Booth Sculpture by Artistic Missouri Pastor Spurs Debate on Public Prayer
"All of my work is about prayer and space and how faith operates in public, [so] I did a series of portable church furniture made out of those plastic 'wet floor' signs. Humor is a big part of what I do."
(Jackson, Tennessee)—29-year old Dylan Mortimer is pastor of a church in Kansas City, Missouri. He is also an artist, and this week he helped install a sculpture dubbed "The Prayer Booth" in Jackson, as part of the 2008-09 Jackson Union Sculpture Tour. According to an article in the Jackson Sun, the sculpture is functional as well; a person can use the booth by flipping down the kneeler and praying.
Says reporter Tracie Simer: "On the prayer booth, praying hands replace the symbol of a phone. Instructions advise those who use the prayer booth to 'please avoid the booth if you are sensitive to or feel threatened by actions that are religious in nature.'" (Photo: Devin Wagner/The Jackson Sun)
Mortimer, noting that his sculpture had been vandalized in a previous city, said: "The goal of the piece is to hopefully stimulate discussion about public prayer. Talk about where it's permitted and prohibited. Some use it sincerely, some jokingly."
"It creates a wide range of reactions," he added. "All of my work is about prayer and space and how faith operates in public, [so] I did a series of portable church furniture made out of those plastic 'wet floor' signs. Humor is a big part of what I do."
Lee Benson, chair of the art department at Union University and one of the organizers of the tour, was quoted as saying the prayer booth has the possibility of producing constructive dialogue about how faith is viewed, especially in today's culture.
"It's poignant for this time period," he said. "This puts prayer into a context that may be quite refreshing in today's environment."
