Continuing their commitment to showing local artists, Central Gallery will present The Jesus Show- Photographs by James Gehrt. Over the years, local photographer James Gehrt has traveled the U.S. with camera in tow, capturing religious icons, ranging from modest to grand.

John Lyman, Managing Editor of Penguin Putnam, said this of Gehrt's work: "We see representations of Jesus in our everyday lives, but they become commonplace to the point of invisibility. We see them - if we see them at all - as a generic version of Jesus. What Gehrt has done is to photograh sculptures of Jesus in a variety of society's individual representations-from joyous, whimsical, or benevolent, to reflective, dour, or suffering. Gehrt then re-presents these images through this body of work, thereby allowing us to see them in all of their expressive individuality."

When asked if these images border on the irreverent, Gehrt's replies. "Some may see them in that light, although it is not my intention. As a child I imagined the statuary in churches to be similar to that of photographs - capturing a likeness of a friend or family member. While I was searching out these recent Jesus images and capturing them on film, I imagined that Jesus would be someone to have great conversations with, and someone to go bowling with. This body of work represents that search for images of the spiritual fun-loving guy I've imagined since I was 4 or 5 years old."

THE JESUS SHOW - Photography by James Gehrt is on exhibit in Central Gallery March 1 - 25. There will be a gallery talk Sunday, March 11 at 2 pm, with a reception following from 3- 5pm. For more information on this or any other Central Gallery exhibit, call Central Gallery at 545-2804.