The fear of God

There’s not much in this world heavier than the subject of religion. Throw that subject into art, and you’re setting yourself up for fierce emotions from all different directions. When seeing the well-designed flier for Religion vs. Allegory, this weekend’s show at the Toyroom Gallery (located in the alley east of 24th Street, just north of Second Avenue), the weight was felt. Luckily, the work in the show doesn’t require an emotional rollercoaster that makes one want to jump up and say, “Amen!” or point fingers and scream at the blasphemers. Instead it’s just more quality work from eight thought-provoking artists (Sean Christopher, Jason Dugan, Jarred Eberhardt, Jack Howe, Craig La Rotonda, Kim Maria, Scott Musgrove and Kevin Peterson) the gallery has gleaned from all over. That’s not to say that the work doesn’t deal with issues of substance or that the pieces don’t affect—just the opposite. Each artist has a strong vision and style that sticks with you.