Woman Power

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The Reverend Howard Finster, who began preaching at age sixteen, had a vision in which the Lord called upon him to create 5,000 sacred paintings to spread the gospel. The self-taught artist numbered each of his paintings and achieved that goal by 1985 but continued making art until the day he died. He often combined text and decorative motifs with images of popular icons such as Elvis and Marilyn. Having won acclaim for his artwork, Finster was invited to appear on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson in 1984. Woman Power originates from a portrait of Marilyn that Carson gave the artist, which Finster embellished by imbuing the sex symbol with a celestial presence. She holds sway over the earth and the church, while faces and figures appear on various perches.

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