The Illustrated Old Testament

×

Expand

Sam Robertson

A painting by Sam Robertson as part of "The Old Testament, King James Version" project.

Minnesota-based artist Sam Robertson spent seven years creating 257 illustrations inspired by the King James version of the Old Testament, which he has compiled into a stunning 520-page hardcover book published by 11:11 Press in Minneapolis, The Old Testament, King James Version. As part of the project, Robertson plans to sell the book door-to-door and record his interactions with potential customers for a performance art piece he hopes to develop into a podcast. At the free ALL event, he is expected to present a snippet of that work in progress, as well as show and discuss 25 paintings from the book and answer questions. He’ll be joined by poets I.S. Jones and Rita Mae Reese.

media release: Arts + Literature Laboratory (ALL) is pleased to announce a special event on Sunday, June 5, 2022 at 5 PM, with Minnesota-based artist Sam Robertson who spent 7 years creating 257 illustrations inspired by the text of the King James Old Testament. Robertson will give a presentation of the resulting 520-page hardcover book The Illustrated Old Testament (published with 11:11 Press) and be joined by poets whose work reinterprets ancient religious figures and stories. Robertson intends to sell the book door to door, dressed as a Bible salesman from the 1970’s, recording his interactions with people in a performance art piece intended to be made into a podcast. He will present a snippet of that work in progress, show and discuss 25 paintings, and answer audience questions. He will have books and prints for sale at the event. This special poetry reading and artist talk is free and open to the public. Attendees should review ALL’s COVID-19 safety policy at artlitlab.org.

Robertson says of the project: "What I’ve done is to render the motifs of the Old Testament accessible without diminishing either their weight or distinctiveness. Humor is at the core of my paintings, but it’s not meant to lambaste or make fun of the book. Religious people and atheists alike have supported this undertaking. Humor allowed me to dig into the jarring contrasts between the beauty and brutality of the human impact on each other and the planet in these wild times."

Author Blake Fitzgerald writes: “Samuel Robertson’s Illustrated Old Testament is a triumph of visual beauty and a spelunking of Western culture’s foundational mythology to its very depths. We aren’t just getting a retelling of a story we’ve heard before. In his interpretation we find a hard-living culture, replete with bizarre norms, literal magic, alien taboos, and a toxic sense of honor. It is at once visually fresh, often hilarious, and fundamentally honest.”

Poets joining the artist include I.S. Jones and Rita Mae Reese. I.S. Jones is a queer American Nigerian poet and former music journalist; she is currently the director of The Watershed Reading Series with Arts + Literature Laboratory and is editor in chief at Frontier Poetry. Rita Mae Reese is an award-winning poet, most recently of The Book of Hulga. She designs Lesbian Poet Trading Cards for Headmistress Press, is a member of the bluegrass band Coulee Creek, and serves as co-director of Arts & Literature Laboratory.