“The Dallas Rapture”

Posted on July 17th, 2008 8:18am by Wick Allison
Filed under Arts, Local News

At a science-fiction writing conference the other day, Doug Davis gave an interestingly entitled lecture on “God as Science Fiction, Science Fiction as God:  Christian Fabulation for American Technoculture,” or “The Sacred and the Profane in the Short Fiction of Ted Chiang and Flannery O’Connor.” In this report on his talk, it says he began by discussing this painting, called “The Dallas Rapture.” I can find only one other reference to the work on the Interwebs, in which it is refered to as a “classic.” From the skyline, I date it to circa 1975. Does anyone out there know anything about it? Who the artist is? Where it may be? A critic might say that it is amateurish. A more generous critic might call it, yes, a classic of 20th century American Christian fundamentalist folk art. But where is it? Who did it?

43 comments

  1. Look for it at the State Fair this year- I see it there every year. I usually see it in what used to be known as the Women’s building across from the Automobile building. A religious group uses it to sell bibles. I swear that when I saw it for the first time they had a Southwest jet crashing into one of the buildings downtown, then after 2001 that area of the painting (top left) had been painted over.

    @ 8:42 am on July 17, 2008

  2. It used to be displayed at the Fort Worth flea market in the Cattle Barns during the late 80s/early 90s. Had to make sure not to make eye contact when you walked by or else the guy would want to engage you. Don’t know if he is still there with it or not.

    @ 8:45 am on July 17, 2008

  3. Actually, the image Wick posted still has the jet crashing into a building. Looks a bit like the old Southland building (or whatever they call it now)

    @ 8:55 am on July 17, 2008

  4. Do I see remnants of the “between the levees” toll road?

    @ 8:59 am on July 17, 2008

  5. Amateurish.

    @ 9:02 am on July 17, 2008

  6. I actually think this depiction is pretty accurate and eerily prophetic as long as you replace every white clad ascending Raptured soul in the painting with a crane or new “upscale high-rise Urban dwelling experience.” Spooky.

    @ 9:07 am on July 17, 2008

  7. Look at the size of the hands on that guy!

    @ 9:09 am on July 17, 2008

  8. Being a student at First Baptist Academy, I’m well aware of this artwork. It was, shall I say? Our Sistine Chapel – with heavy propaganda – piece? I remember first seeing it after we had to watch the film “Left Behind”

    It always worried me that the truck driver wasn’t a Christian and that airlines should always have at least one atheist in the ****pit.

    @ 9:17 am on July 17, 2008

  9. Interesting that the people ascending to heaven are only coming from taxi cabs and 18 wheelers. No one leaving any of those buildings downtown. Maybe an early warning about corporate ethics and the likes of Enron, WorldCom, and the like?

    I guess it’s supporting the Bible verse that it’s easier for a poor man to get to heaven than a rich man. Or something like that.

    @ 9:25 am on July 17, 2008

  10. The original, or a copy, used to hang at the Circle Grill off I-30 at iirc Gus Thomasson Rd, or maybe it was Ferguson. They sold postcards of it at the counter. The resolution of the postcards was such that the ascending souls of the saved looked like little maggots or something. This was in the mid-to-late eighties. The place has since changed hands and I never asked about the painting.

    @ 9:27 am on July 17, 2008

  11. The jet is headed for One Main Place, which is across the street from the Bank of America Tower, which didn’t yet exist when this was created. The Southland Building, also formerly the Adam’s Mark, is on the right side.

    @ 9:28 am on July 17, 2008

  12. DMB, there is no 12 step program, no detox from our Baptist alma mater. This painting is nothing (and you will agree) sitting (barely sober) through a solid week of Easter services with Dr. C at the helm.

    @ 9:43 am on July 17, 2008

  13. May Jesus sweep my sinner’s soul into the pristine arms of the Almighty, I can’t resist picking a nit: The skyline would be circa 1973, not 1975, since the building now known as Renaissance Tower, built and completed throughout 1974, is nowhere in evidence.

    @ 9:52 am on July 17, 2008

  14. “solid week of Easter services with Dr. C at the helm.”

    Would allow for one to truly relate to what it’s like to be crucified.

    Can’t imagine.

    @ 9:53 am on July 17, 2008

  15. The Circle Grill was located in the northwest corner of I-30 and Buckner Blvd.

    @ 9:54 am on July 17, 2008

  16. Yes, and at that Circle Grill it was hung between the two dining rooms – by the bathrooms, as I recall. Just sayin’

    @ 9:56 am on July 17, 2008

  17. Oh wait a minute, maybe it is, but grossly displaced, separated by around a third of a mile from its sibling, Elm Place — in real life they stand dual sentry like salt and pepper shakers.

    Still hard to say for sure, because the painting’s so …. amateurish. It even manages to miss being kitschy.

    @ 9:58 am on July 17, 2008

  18. amanda:

    I agree. I was also present at those yearly wonderful occasions and once, was taken from the pew for laughing so hard about a gummy bear which was stuck between the pages of the hymnal. Go Saints.

    and here’s your moment of zen.
    http://www.boingboing.net/images/rapture.jpg

    @ 10:07 am on July 17, 2008

  19. i still dont get it, do the people going to heaven crash the cars and airplanes, or does the shock of people disappearing cause the bad folks to crash? or is it just how bad the mixmaster was in 1970s and still is today? I for one cannot image a Southwest pilot who is not blessed.

    @ 10:37 am on July 17, 2008

  20. Note: this is intended for entertainment purposes only and in no way should be taken as sound Biblical doctrine.

    In case you’re wondering what your Heavenly mansion might look like: http://www.raptureready.com/photo/mansions/mansions.html

    Signs, signs, everywhere signs: http://www.raptureready.com/photo/signs/rap83ee.html

    And be sure to check out the Rapture Ready’s HQ:
    http://www.raptureready.com/photo/myworld/rap83c.html

    @ 10:40 am on July 17, 2008

  21. Why are there so many of those wavy inflatable arm flailing tube man things in that picture? It’s not Garland.

    @ 10:52 am on July 17, 2008

  22. Cynic: “it was the best of times, it was the worst of times.”

    But does this mean it’s End Times?

    @ 10:56 am on July 17, 2008

  23. @DM and amanda — FBA, eh?

    @ 10:56 am on July 17, 2008

  24. Really, the most important question here is…is the Circle Grill closed!? Everyone is using past tense. I don’t live that way anymore but knowing I can go get a chicken fried steak and a bowl of iceburg slathered in ranch anytime I want, just makes life worth living.

    @ 11:03 am on July 17, 2008

  25. I remember seeing this as a child either in a restuarant (yes, likely circle grill) when I was with my grandfather. It gave me nightmares.

    thanks

    @ 11:29 am on July 17, 2008

  26. I didn’t finish my thought… either in restaurant…. or shop.

    @ 11:30 am on July 17, 2008

  27. I don’t remember Dallas having a prominent role in this rapture. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xHPikUPlRD8

    @ 12:02 pm on July 17, 2008

  28. I don’t know if it’s closed or not, but after the Evans family sold it, it was just never the same so I stopped going.

    @ 12:07 pm on July 17, 2008

  29. I just wanted to point out that that dude rising in the sky is, like Flo Shapiro, a
    jew.

    Love the line from Bethany about the floating tubes coming out of the cars. I’ve seen them all over the place and never knew they were trying to break free to get to heaven.

    @ 12:12 pm on July 17, 2008

  30. Circle Grill is still open and better than ever. Under the same management that runs the Original Market Diner on Harry Hines.

    @ 12:13 pm on July 17, 2008

  31. Claire, yes, we are discussing our “Saint” hood.

    @ 12:36 pm on July 17, 2008

  32. Go big red!

    @ 12:46 pm on July 17, 2008

  33. Saints rule! And if you do find that detox program let me know where and how much!!

    @ 12:59 pm on July 17, 2008

  34. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1LXuNpF6NVg

    @ 1:04 pm on July 17, 2008

  35. Okay, look Claire and Kelly…”Saints rule!” and “Go big red!” Seriously? FBA is a hell-hole, but nothing about 60K in therapy can’t cure…

    David? Care to weigh in?

    @ 1:06 pm on July 17, 2008

  36. Sarcasm doesn’t translate well over the internet.

    But I wouldn’t call it a hell-hole, or an experience later requiring therapy. As long as you don’t buy into the all the mumbo jumbo that some people push, you’re fine.

    @ 1:11 pm on July 17, 2008

  37. I stand by my hell-hole designation, and out of pocket medical costs…

    @ 1:15 pm on July 17, 2008

  38. What a load of hooey it all is. Cynical hucksters pushing psychotic nonsense on gullible sheep. I thought the Reformation was supposed to do away with all that. Just goes to show.

    @ 1:18 pm on July 17, 2008

  39. amanda & Claire:

    I would weigh in but I’m afraid it will go on my permanent record

    @ 1:50 pm on July 17, 2008

  40. There are cynical hucksters pushing psychotic nonsense on gullible sheep just about everywhere. It is not limited entirely to the Southern Baptist Convention, and certainly not the Church.

    @ 1:56 pm on July 17, 2008

  41. Agreed, Claire. At all events, I wasn’t excoriating the Southern Baptist Covention per se, but the exercise in fear-mongering known as the Rapture and, by extension, organized religion in general. One could certainly say the same of Nazi-ism or, to a lesser extent, Amway.

    @ 2:18 pm on July 17, 2008

  42. To make all you Baptists feel better: just remember that the Methodists are stuck with the George Bush Library and “Think” Tank.

    BBaaawwwaaahhhhhhhh!!!

    @ 3:05 pm on July 17, 2008

  43. When is the last time FBA had a National Merit Semi-finalist?

    @ 3:53 pm on July 17, 2008