Episode #028: Beauty Will Save the World, Part Three - Seeing God in Plain Sight with Kelly Latimore

Welcome back to The Wayside Podcast!

In the world of the visual arts, an icon is a work depicting an important person or image in the Christian faith. Icons can include everything from various saints and early church fathers and mothers To biblical scenes and images of Christ himself.

For many Christians, these images aren’t just artworks – they are sacred images meant to be used in acts of worship. Our guest today is one such artist who has made the art of creating icons something relevant for believers – and non-believers - living in our complicated world today.

Kelly Latimore began painting icons in 2010 while he was a member of the Common Friars in Ohio.  He is now a St. Louis-based artist whose images captivate audiences – everything ranging from modern Saints such as Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Pauli Murray and Mahalia Jackson TO modern re-imaginings of familiar images such as his Pieta-style image of a Black Mary cradling the body of Jesus who resembles George Floyd and “La Sagrada Familia,” showing the holy family as modern immigrants walking in the desert.

In his own words, Kelly uses his craft to produce a “holy pondering” – we know that after listening to our conversation, you’ll never look at anything the same way again. 

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Links:
St. Martin’s website: https://www.stmartinsepiscopal.org 

Contact us: [email protected]

https://kellylatimoreicons.com/  

Cover art from “A Stranger and You Welcomed Me”

Christ: Consider the Lilies by Kelly Latimore