“Sideshow Saints” Arthur Lopez New Work
July 25, 2025, 5:00 - 7:00p.m.
"Arthur Lopez's new exhibition, 'Sideshow Saints,' boldly reimagines the sacred narratives of Christian saints within the captivating and often unsettling world of the circus sideshow.”
"Step right up!” and witness a spectacle unlike any other!
Prepare to be amazed, to be stunned, to be thrilled! Don't miss your chance to witness the incredible! A sight you won't forget, a memory you'll cherish forever!
“Sideshow Saints” showcases Lopez's exceptional skill in painted wood sculpture, a medium through which he meticulously reimagines traditional Christian narratives. Each piece in the exhibition demonstrates a profound understanding of form and surface, as Lopez masterfully carves and paints the wood to bring these unique interpretations to life. The tactile quality of the wood, combined with the vibrant layers of paint, imbues the sculptures with a tangible presence, bridging the historical narratives with a contemporary artistic sensibility."
Lopez pulls back the circus curtain inviting viewers into the world circus sideshow or (Freak-show) as it is sometimes referred as. Circus sideshows are known for their bizarre and unusual acts that include people with unusual physical characteristics or conditions that were often considered “Freaks of Nature” or “Beyond Natural”. This concept sparked the theme for “Sideshow Saints”, Just as the sideshow spotlighted individuals with extraordinary characteristics, the lives of the saints are filled with equally extraordinary tales of martyrdom, miracles, and divine intervention. This parallel forms the foundation of the exhibition, where each figure is masterfully carved and painted with careful attention to their traditional attributes, reinterpreted within a sideshow setting.
Lopez elaborates on this fascinating intersection of the sacred and spectacular, stating: “The centerpiece of the show, “Our lady of the Sideshow” offers a nuanced allegorical interpretation of the Virgin Mary. Her elaborate Marie Antoinette-inspired coiffure, a symbol of royal power as 'Queen of Heaven,' also serves as a theatrical stage, reflecting her elevated status. Atop this towering hair sits the Christ Child of Atocha, a Roman Catholic image of the Christ Child, venerated in Hispanic cultures, as the patron saint of travelers a fitting figure for the traveling circus. Her elegant gown is in the rococo style that drapes open like curtains to frame the stage for the sideshow acts that will perform. On stage is “The Apparitionist”, a contemporary depiction of “San Juan Diego” a Mexican indigenous man who the Virgin of Guadalupe appeared to in 1531. The Virgin of Guadalupe subtly blends into the background and Instead of the traditional miraculous image on his cloak, a tattoo of the Virgin of Guadalupe is strikingly emblazoned on San Juan Diego’s chest, surrounded by roses, a permanent testament to the divine encounter. Another striking interpretation is St. Sebastian who traditionally is portrayed during his martyrdom by being shot with arrows but miraculously survived, I portray him as the human pin cushion. Then there’s Santa Librada, a saint whose story involves a princess who grew a beard to avoid an arranged marriage. She was promised to a king, but devoted her life to Christianity and prayed for a sign to reject the marriage. Her prayer was answered with the growth of a beard, and she was later crucified by her father. In my sideshow she becomes the Bearded Lady. With a clever twist, Saint Catherine of Bologna she is considered the patron saint of artists (due to her own artistic talents in miniature painting and illuminated manuscripts, and her dedication to her faith, which she expressed through her art and writings), becomes the tattooed lady, a fitting patron saint for tattoo artists in my sideshow.”
�Arthur Lopez & King Galleries invite you to witness this extraordinary exhibition, where the revered tales of the saints are unveiled through the captivating and thought-provoking lens of the sideshow, inviting a fresh perspective on faith, wonder, and the extraordinary within the seemingly ordinary. �Don't miss The Amazing “Sideshow Saints!”
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