Well here I am, seven years later. Arguably, I am known as the artist of one of the worst art restorations in history.
I am Heather Wise, the artist of the infamous Temporary Jesus Head. After my adventures of the past seven years, not being much of an internet person, I was told at the time of the Temporary Jesus Head viral explosion that these things blow up and then disappear, soon to be forgotten.
Being raised in art galleries, and educated in art history I knew that I was the artist of the one of the most controversial, debated, versatile, inspirational and infamous depiction of Christ of this millennia (with the exception of Cecilia Gimenez's "Ecce Mono" from the year 2012 in Spain).
As far as the worst art restorations of Jesus Christ, she is my only competition.
The international media attention was relentless at the time and only Mr. Mark Gentili from Sudbury.com defended me, writing the opinion piece "Don’t Let Them Get You Down Heather Wise". He was the only journalist that I knew of in the world who had anything positive to say about myself, my motives and my art.
Well now, in the year 2023, the Temporary Jesus Head and me, as the artist, is still being written about. Mark Gentili was the brave first, but he is no longer alone. I’m still being trashed, but those journalists still don't know they are actually doing me a favour. There are a handful of art websites and a few others that are praising my head and me, as an artist.
Seven years ago, I had two to three hundred works of art, but was gallery shunned, so I made a living cleaning and being a personal care assistant. After a health problem and then a disabling accident (still in physical recovery), I decided to sell my art through the internet.
I am now the proud owner of Heather Wise Studios (you can also find the studio on Facebook), my new online internet art business. I’m also selling my work through word of mouth, so perhaps some local stores might want to sell my work through November and December. I like that local businesses exist, and my castles, sunshines, masks and crowns are big sellers.
Within the first few months of my Temporary Jesus Head internet phenomenon, while I was a cleaner in a mall, a lovely young lady that also worked in the mall asked me,"Are you Heather Wise?" I answered that I was and she hugged me.
She then told me that her friend, Christian Pelletier, made a mask of the Temporary Jesus Head and she showed me the picture on her phone. It was humbling to see what my head had inspired.
Aside from the meme, the mask added to the Temporary Jesus Head phenomenon. I had heard that local punk band Strange Attractor wrote a song ,"Thank You For Making a Baby Jesus Head". At the GNO's art festival, I got to meet and hang out with Jeff Houle from Strange Attractor as well as Christian Peltier. I also met Duntan Topp,(whom I hadn't met since he was a child), who has a Temporary Jesus Head tattoo on his leg. I have yet to meet his friend that has a matching Temporary Jesus Head Tattoo on his chest.
If you search for my Jesus head, you’ll find it mentioned or featured on dozens of websites, including one on the worst art restorations in history that features a cartoon of my head and me. I could not be more humbled and honored.
Selling my oil and acrylic works, my masks, stones and crowns, is a wonderful hustle. As we speak, Heather Wise Studios’ internet website is being built. Whether you think I’m famous or infamous, hated or loved or inspirational, my art will be for sale.
As you are reading this article, I am copyrighting my Temporary Jesus Head.
Yes, my artwork is for sale and I am copyrighting my Temporary Jesus Head itself and making multiple lines of merchandise. Soon, you’ll be able to purchase 3D Jesus heads, both life-sized and miniature. You’ll be able to buy Temporary Jesus Head t-shirts, mugs, pencil erasers, stuffies and incense burners.
Celia Gimenez, the artist of the “Ecce Homo”, was only partly done with her restoration when it went viral. She made enough money from the merch she sold as a result of her restoration going viral that she was able to build an affordable housing home for seniors, give money to her church and made herself rich.
She has paved the way for me to sell my merch and if she can do that, why can’t I?
Now, the fact that I exist proves that God has a sense of humour, and in this process I have become a Christian. As with my intent upon making my Temporary Jesus Head, my lines of products will be humorous, but not disrespectful.
After all, sacred art and depictions of Christ are just that, depictions, but Jesus is the important part. Online in the middle of the journalist trashing and cyber bullying, I would like to thank everyone who defended me. For more than a year, everywhere I went strangers walked up to me and said, "Hey, you're the Temporary Jesus Head lady — I stuck up for you."
I would like to thank Mark Gentili, all of my friends that I met throughout my life, and internet strangers, but I would especially like to thank every media outlet that was less than respectful, every troll who insulted me and my work, and all the galleries that rejected me.
Without you, I would not be so famous. Going viral helped write my name on the public consciousness, like the art masters who I studied in art history. All of you did me a favour.
Once again, I am working to pay my house taxes, but this work is now to build my internet business and sell my art. I would like to thank everyone, but especially the real Jesus Christ.
Heather Wise is an artist in Sudbury. She is best known for the temporary baby Jesus head sculpture she created for Ste-Anne-des-Pins Church.
