Justin Sterling: Chapel of Rocks and other goodies at SD Museum of Art

 by Patricia Frischer

Justin Sterling: Chapel of the Rocks at San Diego Museum of Art, Balboa Park
Showing until Feb 12, 2023

Chapel of the Rocks is approximately 1000-square-foot 

Arriving at the San Diego Museum of Art and going into the gallery that houses Justin Sterling’s Chapel of the Rocks is certainly impressive. Seeing a church building inside of another building reminds you how important it is for museums to play this role of financing such large art works for our community to experience. The raw structure with the reassembled colored glass windows that have been brutally broken, is a symbol of the violent times we live in. Sterling questions Good Faith (my answer Earned Trust) and Bad Faith (Broken Trust) and asked the viewers to deposit their answers in the collection boxes. There are fire hydrants almost like classical columns or gargoyles and  even an old sink full of rocks with actual water dripping on them as a font. You can sit on pews inside in front of the alter and glimpse a video playing though the shards.  But that experience is nothing like the artist’s home town Houston's Rothko Chapel which is quiet spiritual. We get that extra feeling by viewing the selection of religious traditions pulled from the SDMA collection.  

   

Justin Sterling (b. 1992, Houston, Texas) now lives in New York which is where the materials for Chapel of the Rocks were sourced. Houston is the home of the Rothko Chapel 

A small selection of the multiple belief systems from the SDMA permanent collection on display in the room with the Chapel of the Rocks. 

Art of the Americas

Drawn also from the permanent collection of the SDMA is an ongoing selection of works which gives another chance to see some of our favorite art. These rooms are right next to the Chapel of the Rocks. 

Nick Cave Rescue

Marianela de la Hoz Heaven and Earth and the Determined Freedom of the Undetermined Life

Diego Rivera The Hands of Dr. Moore - So interesting to see this work right next to the local art star de la Hoz

A simple shout out to the wonderful team that catered the special event we attended that opened this exhibition. They are equally as creative as the artists. Fabulous rainbow arranged crudity, deli meats, fruits and cheese. 

Avocado Toast bar.