Nuestra Señora de las surfistas

She shows up in every medium from tattoos to auto-body paint and glitter on aluminum, so why not in a 3 by 3 meter glass and rock mosaic on a railroad bridge pier?

And, having taken an interest in the affairs of this world since she and Juan Diego Cuauhtlatoatzin conversed in Nahuatl back in 1531, why shouldn’t she show an interest in the way we treat the planet? La Virgen has appeared in any number of guises over the centuries, and why not on a surfboard?

Alas, the appearance of the Lady of Tepayac in Encinas California last Good Friday (and Earth Day) is less a miracle than yet another … er… irregular art installation… by Mark Patterson. Through his attorney, the artist send a letter to the City of Encinas, offering to assist with removing the work, which has attracted a serious offer from serious collectors (who incidentally also offer to reimburse Patterson for any fines he may face as a result of what is technically vandalism of public property).

One of the more ridiculous reasons given for removing the work is that Encinas mayor James Bond (that’s his real name) frets that the city could be sued for showing religious bias… towards saving the ocean?

A modest proposal, Mr. Bond.  Seeing she’s a Mexican and all, perhaps la Virgen might be eligible for repatriation to her homeland.  And, as a surfer-chick, perhaps the best place in Mexico for her would be  Ahem… Mexico’s Surf City… which has good beaches and surf, and… as an added bonus… if installed in the proper setting, might at least visit bring the heathen into what is now in the running for the world’s ugliest cathedral (built of cinder block and yellow brick):