Textual Poaching

The Last Supper is an iconic piece of art that marked a generation and a people. It’s really interesting to me to see pictures of our modern day disciples all together on the stand at general conference in suits and ties and compare it to the rags and sandals that the primitive apostles used to wear. When I thought about what defined me, my religious beliefs was definitely the first thought to come to mind. My religious belief’s shape me more than anything else does. Another huge part of the way I live my life is through technology, and specifically Apple products.

We have had Sunday school and primary lessons for years that have asked “what would you bring on an island if you could only bring 3 things. And of course there is always a massive expectation to say “my scriptures, my patriarchal blessing, my temple recommend, etc.” Would saying “I would bring my iPhone” be a materialistic or worldly answer? I don’t think so at all! The scriptures are on my iPhone. My journal is on my iPhone. I can connect with my family, give coordinates, take pictures, look up survival skills, the list is endless. Something I love about modern day LDS leadership is that we are seizing every opportunity to utilize technology and media to further the purposes of the gospel. That’s why the disciples are using tablets at the table of the last supper.

Along with my love for technology, I also have opinions about different things within that category. If you look closely, Judas Iscariot has a Microsoft Surface at his spot at the table. Why Judas? And why a Surface? Judas betrayed Jesus and is therefore known for the rest of forever as the worst apostle. He couldn’t fulfill his purpose. He didn’t work out the way we all hoped. He was cast out, and ended up hanging himself. The surface, in my opinion, is the worst tablet out there. They have had absolutely no success in comparison to Apple’s iPad, which is a very reliable and functional device. That mirrors the rest of the apostle’s reliability and dedication to the Lord. (in the most non-sac religious way possible.)

There are hundreds of parodies on The Last Supper, this one was one of my favorites. As a kid, I loved doing Legos and The Lego Movie just rekindled those memories. This piece was probably the result of a similar experience as mine. The artist found 2 things they loved and combined them into something that meant something unique to him/her.

We might wonder how Da Vinci would feel about all these parodies. Would he be outraged? Would we be able to convince him that his art was worth kind of ruining for our own artistic motives to be expressed? Jenkin’s How Texts Become Real explores a similar idea while talking about a toy that was used and ‘vandalized.’ “Seen from the perspective of the toymaker, who has an interest in preserving the stuffed animal just as it was made, the loose joints and missing eyes represent vandalism, the signs of misuse and rough treatment, yet for the boy, there are traces of fondly remembered experiences…in short, of it’s loving use.”