Ethan Acres

April 28, 2005 1:37 PM

Ethan Acres demonstrates the Rapture. The Reverend Acres is both a preacher, who wants to "put the fun back into fundamentalism" (turn the sound down) and an art school graduate. He will christen your children if they so desire (and if they are flowers). And he really, really likes Thomas Kinkade. I just wish I could show you his pigs, but you'll have to go to the library.
posted by TimothyMason (14 comments total)

Can we have the Rapture already? It'd be nice to live in a world where sanctimonious busybodies aren't constantly sticking their "no's" where they don't belong.
posted by clevershark at 1:43 PM on April 28, 2005

I'd just like to point out that the Rev's favourite film of all time is Barbarella, Queen of the Galaxy
posted by CrunchyFrog at 1:54 PM on April 28, 2005

I have only a small flickering light to guide me in the darkness of a thick forest. Up comes a theologian and blows it out.
posted by Mean Mr. Bucket at 1:59 PM on April 28, 2005

Bravo!
posted by The Infamous Jay at 2:22 PM on April 28, 2005

This is like Jeff Koons doing Xtianity. I like it.
posted by bardic at 2:38 PM on April 28, 2005

I found this great snippet of art-speak about him in the LA Weekly:

By linking what is generally considered a vestigial manifestation of pre-Enlightenment white hetero patriarchal superstition with a heartfelt engagement with the language and history of formalist artmaking, the Reverend Acres continues to address the only two remaining taboos that can actually make waves inside the art world.

Take that as you will....
posted by mr_roboto at 3:06 PM on April 28, 2005

The Rev. Acres is ordained by World Christianship Ministries. I wonder if he's really a fuindie. It's hard to tell, which is part of what makes him compelling to the art grad students, I think.
posted by eustacescrubb at 5:23 PM on April 28, 2005

Following the Rev. Jerry Falwell’s denouncement of the Teletubbie Tinky Winky – apparently deemed unsuitable for children on account of his penchant for handbags – Acres wrote an open letter in his defence and performed at the University of Southern Mississippi in Tinky Winky regalia.

...A letter in defense of the Reverend Falwell or Tinky Winky?

ANYWAY: I find this all pretty interesting (despite the Thomas Kinkade love), and I was hoping that what seemed like humility might be indicative of his approach to faith - great piety and great tolerance.

That was all shattered when I read the description of The Guise of Satan, a performance about the members of Knights In Satan's Service (KISS, the band, that acronym being a total myth), what their masks meant, and why they were evil. He even threw in a bit of conspiracy theory when he said that one of the masks represented technology in that it resembles an alien of the kind that, quote, "conspiracy theorists believe that a majority of American technological breakthroughs actually are reverse engineered from Alien spacecraft held in Nevada's Area 51." He doesn't make any claim of believing that, but I think this pretty much destroys his credibility.
posted by invitapriore at 5:28 PM on April 28, 2005

I wonder if he's really a fuindie.

I did too, but I think the evidence generally points to yes.
posted by invitapriore at 5:29 PM on April 28, 2005

He doesn't make any claim of believing that, but I think this pretty much destroys his credibility.

Credibility?!?

OK, the description of the KISS show is as follows:

"In the performance, (entitled KISS of the Devil) using music, story-telling, and Kubuki-stylized movement, I will attempt to tell the story of these four incarnations of Satan, and how they threatened the minds of four teenagers wandering all alone through the horror known as 1978. "

And you're worried about credibility?!? This is high-camp performance art, not sincere spirituality.

Did you even read the Kinkade piece? I quote: "As I sat there at the table, eating my pimento loaf sandwich, the fluffy bits of Wonder Bread virtually melting on my tongue like the Host, I tried and tried to figure out exactly what was so exciting about that picture, that Kinkade."

And your conclusion is that the guy is sincere!?! You really need to readjust your irony-meter, there, invitapriore.
posted by mr_roboto at 5:47 PM on April 28, 2005

Yes, you're right - I didn't read the Thomas Kinkade piece fully, I only assumed that its length spoke to its genuineness. I suppose that's doubly embarassing, considering how much it emphasizes that I missed the point.

*sweats*
posted by invitapriore at 6:00 PM on April 28, 2005

This guy is GREAT! (Not to mention, er, darn attractive.) I bet he's already taken by Tammy Faye Starlite, though.
posted by BoringPostcards at 8:46 PM on April 28, 2005

This is high-camp performance art, not sincere spirituality.

It is not inconceivable that it is both. Everything I have ever read about or by Akers suggests that it is. Go here.

And what's more, he's absolutely on the ball over Kinkade. Come on, you know you love him. Look at those colours; don't you want to lick them up?
posted by TimothyMason at 11:04 PM on April 28, 2005

"conspiracy theorists believe that a majority of American technological breakthroughs actually are reverse engineered from Alien spacecraft held in Nevada's Area 51."

not just the fun, but the dumb and the mental!
posted by hob at 11:34 PM on April 28, 2005