Anthony Falbo "Jesus is the Most High"

For Those of you who do not already know, Anthony Falbo is a Christian. This is not to say that he is a religious man. Religion, after all, is a cultural system. More precisely, "religion", is an interaction of cultural elements that create and utilize symbols to link humanity to a set of values.  In short, Religion, which is "man-made" (the term "man" denoting a culture or society),  is not the same thing as faith and does not refer to a person's spiritual beliefs.  Neither is the term religion synonomous with piety.  Religion refers to public manifestations, and there often seems to be a disconnect between public displays of religious affectation and the virtue of persons engaged in such. To be clear, because someone is religious does not mean they are pious, good, or Christian.  So I suppose many might ask the question; what are the beliefs of Anthony Falbo? Is he religious?  Is he virtuous? Since, as an artist, it seems clear that he is saying something strongly profound, what is it that he is saying to us?  Is he telling us of his beliefs? Is he telling us what he does not believe, or is he doing his best to unravel the pointed questions posed by mankind over the ages?  Does he know something that we do not know? Where in the universe does he get these ideas that he portrays so elegantly?

This week's painting is entitled "Jesus Is The Most High" and I am hoping it gets everyone thinking and commenting. There is a lot going on in this painting, and I firmly believe it worth exploring. Remember, my impression may not be your impression, and while I will offer some insight about Anthony's impressions, as always, the artist will not disclose everything with words, that is after all, why he paints.


My initial impression of "Jesus is the most high" is that it represents man's attempt to find fulfillment in substances, and just about every option they can find on earth yet often ignoring the one way to fulfillment which is also the way to salvation.  Once upon a time I remember hearing a theologian offer the observation that "man is always accepting counterfeits". He was referring to the use of substances to attain feelings of joy, fulfilment, and contentment, through the use of substances. I think someone once coined the phrase "substance abuse".  The Professor's message was that these substances never really bring one true joy. He used the word "counterfeit" to describe how people will always try to find substitutes for what God has offers us freely.  In other words, though one can achieve a feeling of joy by excersizing his body thereby releasing natural endorphins, a mechanism designed by God, they will often opt for a substitute, or if you will, a counterfeit version of God's "genuine article".  Taking this further, the theology professor states that even if, over a period of time, one achieves feelings of joy by engaging in regular excercise, they will never achieve complete fulfillment in their lives through excercise alone, and so may turn to counterfeit measures as well. I believe at least one of the messages the artist is portraying to our thirsty eyes is represented in the words of the theologian. Succinctly, God is the author and inventor of our bodies and souls, and any attempt to achieve fulfilment without a connection to God will inevitably result in the acceptance of a counterfeit solution. The obvious problem, as our theologian states, is that nothing gives you a "high" like the one who is "most high". The absurdity of mankind accepting a counterfeit when the real thing is available, is part of the message Anthony Falbo relates to us in "Jesus Is The Most High". 

In the painting, we see an abstract image of a human being desperately trying to achieve relief in the form of a "high". The protrayal, perhaps of an addict who is willing to try everything avaliable to him from psychodelic mushrooms, marijuana, intravenous drugs (we could assume heroin), cocaine, and some form of high powered drink (perhaps the high alchohol/caffiene drinks that have hospitalized so many as of late).  We also see the bible and the words, "Jesus is the most high". I have heard it said that this painting may be some sort of mockery to our saviours grace, and that the artist himself uses drugs to enhance not only his artistic talents but also his spiritual endeavors.  As a personal friend of Anthony Falbo, I can tell you first hand that nothing could be further from the truth. Anthony does not, nor has he ever, used drugs. So where does the artist get his insight? 

Back to the questions we asked at the beginning of this review, what are Anthony's beliefs, and what kind of man is he?  As a friend, I can attest that Anthony is a good man.  Like all men, he is not perfect, and he has made mistakes in his lifetime. The difference, for this artist, is that he knows that he is forgiven for his transgressions because he has accepted the universal fact that Jesus Christ died for our sins. Is Anthony Falbo Pious? I know what he would say.  He would tell you "no", but point to the sky and say, "but because of Christ, I am forgiven". The fact that no man is truly virtuous outside of Christ when he became the son of man, is a belief that Anthony carries into his work.  This simple yet profound truth is the foundation from where this artist gets his inspiration. Succinctly, Anthony gets his messages that he brings to the world of art, through God. This may sound a bit far fetched to some patrons of the art world, but when you look at the work of the artist, and speak to him about his inspiration, you come away knowing that he is a well grounded and simple man with a complex and amazing talent that he admits is given to him every day by his Lord and Savior. There is no piety here, neither is there any hocus pocus. Anthony emphatically states that he does not get his ideas from dreams, astrology, ouigi boards, absinthe, or psychosis. He is inspired by God, directly and indirectly from God, and God works through him.  Anyone with any doubts has only to look at his talent.

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