Piss Christ

Piss Christ is a 1987 photograph by Andrés Serrano depicting a small plastic crucifix submerged in the artist’s urine. Its religious imagery and materials made it a flashpoint in debates over art, blasphemy, and public funding.

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Blasphemy: Blasphemy is speech or action understood as showing contempt for God or what a religion holds sacred. Critics saw the photograph’s materials and crucifix as an affront to Christian reverence.
Andrés Serrano: Andrés Serrano is an American photographer known for large-scale images that address religion, identity, and bodily materials. He made and titled Piss Christ in 1987.
National Endowment for the Arts controversy: The National Endowment for the Arts controversy was a late-1980s dispute over federal arts funding and provocative works. Piss Christ became a focus of congressional criticism of NEA-supported art.
The Holy Virgin Mary (painting): The Holy Virgin Mary is a 1996 painting by Chris Ofili featuring an African Madonna and collage materials. Like Piss Christ, it provoked controversy over religious imagery and public arts funding.
Sacred and Profane: The sacred and the profane are contrasting categories for what a community treats as holy and ordinary or taboo. The photograph places a Christian symbol in bodily fluid, collapsing that boundary.
Immersion (Piss Christ series): Immersion is Andrés Serrano’s photographic series depicting religious objects submerged in bodily or other liquids. Piss Christ belongs to this series of illuminated submerged objects.
Southeastern Center for Contemporary Art: The Southeastern Center for Contemporary Art is an art institution in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. It organized the exhibition in which Piss Christ was shown in 1989.
The Last Supper: The Last Supper is a biblical meal shared by Jesus and his disciples before his crucifixion, widely depicted in art. Traditional depictions of Christian subjects contrast with Serrano’s provocative material treatment.
Religious Iconography: Religious iconography is the use and interpretation of visual symbols, figures, and images associated with religion. The crucifix’s familiar symbolism is central to the work’s meaning and controversy.
American Culture Wars: American culture wars are political and public conflicts over cultural values, religion, and identity in the United States. The photograph’s later reception became part of these conflicts.