Voting Station

Timothy Schmalz

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Artist

The Resume

    Born in Ontario, Canada
    Sculptor, specializes in religious subjects
    Bases his operations in St. Jacobs, Ontario (beginning in 1989)
    Famous for the bronze 'Homeless Jesus' statues, variously located in British Columbia, Washington, D.C., Vatican City, Dublin, Madrid, and Moscow (2013-17)
    Statues are known for depicting Jesus as a homeless person, sleeping on a park bench
    Other works include 'A Quiet Moment,' 'Golden Leaves,' 'Canadian Veterans Memorial,' 'Be Not Afraid,' 'Body of Christ,' 'Bride and Groom,' 'Christ Washing Peter's Feet,' 'First from the Flames,' 'Drawing Strength,' and a series of 'When I Was...' pieces

Why he might be annoying:

    He looks like Mr. Clean.
    He sells miniatures of his work on his website for between $50 and $300.
    Some of his work depicting religious subjects in contemporary settings can be borderline disturbing.
    His chain of 'Homeless Jesus' statues, specifically, have been known to both fool/creep out (probably rich) passersby.
    One NPR caller even admitted to calling the police on the first day she saw one, mistaking it for a real homeless person (it probably confuses fledgling officers on a regular basis).

Why he might not be annoying:

    He has worked on several veterans memorial projects.
    His best known secular project is a 4-meter tall statue honoring Gordon Lightfoot.
    His art is both emotionally moving and a creative reimagining of Biblical teachings.
    His 'Jesus' statues are a visual translation of the Gospel of Matthew passage: 'as you did it to one of the least of my brothers, you did it to me.'
    He was turned down by several churches and religious universities, because the boards deemed the statue 'too provocative.'
    The only distinguishing mark showing that 'the homeless person' is actually Jesus are scars from the crucifixion on His feet.
    Pope Francis is a huge fan of his work, blessing the statue in Washington D.C., and even having a cast stationed outside of St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican.
    He said, 'About 10 percent of people are really angry that Jesus is represented like that. But one of the benefits of the sculpture is that it becomes the starting point of discussions about the Gospel. If my sculptures are used by people as a tool to think, then I’m very happy.'

Credit: BoyWiththeGreenHair


Featured in the following Annoying Collections:

Year In Review:

    In 2023, Out of 5 Votes: 80.0% Annoying
    In 2022, Out of 1 Votes: 100% Annoying
    In 2021, Out of 12 Votes: 83.33% Annoying
    In 2020, Out of 2 Votes: 100% Annoying
    In 2019, Out of 1 Votes: 0% Annoying
    In 2018, Out of 2 Votes: 0% Annoying
    In 2017, Out of 6 Votes: 66.67% Annoying