Artist offers new twist on ancient Christian symbols

Posted: 8/18/06

Artist offers new twist on ancient Christian symbols

By George Henson

Staff Writer

LEWISVILLE—A new twist on a couple of Christian symbols may be just the conversation-starter needed to turn an accidental meeting into a divine appointment, a trio of Texas brothers believe.

Seen from one perspective, a cross is visible. From another, twisted metal bears no identifiable shape. A little more twist, and the fish symbol of Christianity appears.

Scott Cavness said the desire to present the gospel to the world in a fresh way first led him to ask his brother Jac, an artist, to investigate the possibilities.

Jac Cavness has long held a fascination with turning three-dimensional objects into two-dimensional images. While many people tried to draw boxes on paper to appear to be cubes, no one was trying to do the opposite.

He developed the idea of contorting lines in such a way that they would depict one shape from one dimension and something totally different from another. He calls his artwork perspective sculpture.

That transition from one shape to no shape and then to a second shape gave rise to the company name Eyevolver Sculpture Designs. Jac Cavness also designs larger metal sculptures, one of which sits outside the San Angelo Museum of Art.

A large model of the cross/fish also has been made, but as yet it sits in Scott Cavness’ backyard instead of in front of church, where Cavness hopes it soon will be. He wants it mounted on a pivoting base so the perspective will change each time a person passes.

“We want it to reach out and grab people as they drive by as a way for a church to say, ‘We’re trying to reach out to the world in a contemporary way,’” he explained.

The business team involves Jac as designer, Scott as CEO and president, and brother Tom as project manager.

Scott Cavness said that what his brother, Jac, has done artistically with the cross and fish is unique.

“People have put them together in many beautiful ways, but never like this,” he said.

The pieces, which now come in table models for home décor as well as necklaces, earrings and crystalline keychains, are far more than pretty objects, he insisted. The designs can been seen at www.eyevolver.com.

“This, in a small way, maybe illustrates how the secular world sees God,” Scott Cavness said. “In the secular world, if you look at God from a weird angle, it doesn’t make sense. But as you move to a perspective where you can see God for who he really is, it all starts to make sense.”

He hopes the artwork helps open conversations that may in time lead to conversions.

“The church is trying new and contemporary ways to reach the world for Christ, and this is an attempt to be a small part of that,” Cavness said. “Like God’s design for salvation is simple, this is simple, once you see it from the right perspective.”

Since Cavness believes the process is new, intellectual property rights have been applied for with the U.S. Patent Office. Scott Cavness is sure the concept really originated in the mind of God, however.

Referring to the earrings and necklace that hang from a free-spinning pivot, he said: ‘It’s my prayer that we’ll give people a new way to say, ‘I’m reaching out to make a stand for Christ.’ Because what I’ve seen in wearing the necklace is that people are drawn to it like nothing else I’ve seen. So many people have seen a cross hang from someone’s neck that now they see a cross and just go on. Maybe this will help them see the cross and pause long enough to ponder its significance.

“Not all sermons are spoken, and I hope we’ll be successful in using this to reach people for Christ.” News of religion, faith, missions, Bible study and Christian ministry among Texas Baptist churches, in the BGCT, the Southern Baptist Convention ( SBC ) and around the world.