When a photographer poses as a dreamy Hollywood version of Jesus to comment on evolution

With a church on just about every street corner and an eclectic mix of ideologies represented from fundamentalism to paganism, Charlotte is a richly diverse city in which to present a project like “The Descent of Man.” At least that’s what its creator, Sean Busher, is hoping.

Busher is a local commercial photographer who, for the past 15 years or so, has worked with a variety of corporate clients, including NASCAR, Duke Energy and Food Lion. “The Descent of Man” represents a creative shift into more conceptual territory for Busher. The project, which is on display at Wedgewood Church in Charlotte until Nov. 27, is a series of eight 6-by-4 CGI-enhanced backlit transparencies that take a surreal look at what happens when Jesus Christ returns to Earth to teach evolution.

The striking images, partly inspired by the Scopes Monkey Trial in 1925, during which a science teacher was sued for teaching evolution, depict everything from a heated dinner discussion to a volatile school meeting to a bizarre courtroom showdown. Busher himself portrays Jesus — the dreamy Hollywood version, with shoulder-length dark hair and a goatee.

Wedgewood Church pastor Chris Ayers explained that Wedgewood has an art gallery where they frequently highlight alternative art, including pieces from homeless artists as well as several pieces by a transgender atheist.

“Provocative art is important for the life of a society and should be transformative for the life of a congregation,” Ayers said. “Unfortunately, the church, particularly the early church, has been hostile to art and artists. Artists, Wedgewood Church feels, help us see what we haven’t seen or what we don’t want to see.”

Busher, a Charlotte native, said he came up with the idea for “The Descent of Man” about five years ago, amidst the ongoing evolution-versus-creationism debate in schools. Working with CGI artist Peter Godshall, he spent about 1,000 hours on the project, including multiple photo shoots at various locations around Charlotte.

His goal was to create thought-provoking imagery for people who find themselves stuck in the middle between the two extremes of science and spirituality. The message behind “The Descent of Man” is that the two belief systems can coexist, Busher said, and are in fact both crucial to our better understanding each other and the universe.

“The debate over religion always seems to be framed around people ridiculing creationists, or creationists who are frustrated with scientists, and they just fight and yell at each other,” Busher said. “It’s good for entertainment value, but at the same time it’s not getting us anywhere. Hopefully ‘The Descent of Man’ will help people become more open to all religions and ways of thinking.”

This story was originally published November 9, 2015 at 10:00 PM with the headline "When a photographer poses as a dreamy Hollywood version of Jesus to comment on evolution."