Piss Christ
Photograph, Cibachrome print • Andres Serrano
Style & Movement
Contemporary Art / Shock Art / Post-Modernism
Medium & Technique
Cibachrome print (dye destruction print) mounted on plexiglass; technique involves submersing a plastic crucifix in a glass container of the artist's own urine and photographing it with ambient lighting to produce a golden glow.
Creation Period
1987
Dimensions & Format
Large scale portrait format; commonly produced in editions of 60 x 40 inches (152.4 x 101.6 cm).
Subject Description
The image depicts a small plastic crucifix immersed in a golden, hazy liquid. The composition uses a centralized, vertical orientation where the corpus is partially obscured by bubbles and the density of the fluid. The work explores the tension between sacred iconography and profane bodily fluids, using light to create a cathedral-like, ethereal atmosphere that belies its controversial materials.
Condition & Value Assessment
Condition Assessment
Good (based on visual evidence of the photograph provided); however, original Cibachrome prints are prone to surface scratches and edge delamination over time.
Estimated Market Value
$100,000 - $300,000 USD (depending on edition size and print date)
Auction Estimate
$80,000 - $150,000 USD
Provenance History
Originally debuted at the Stux Gallery, New York; subsequent history involves various international galleries and private collections. Noted for its involvement in the 1989 NEA funding controversy.
Art Historical Significance
One of the most bedeutend works of late 20th-century art due to its role in the 'Culture Wars' of the 1980s and 90s. It triggered a National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) funding debate in the U.S. Senate and remains a seminal example of how contemporary art challenges religious and social taboos.
Notable Features
Distinctive golden luminosity achieved through the reaction of light with urine, which many viewers mistake for amber or nectar before learning the medium; the signature is typically on the reverse or mounting.
Condition Issues
Potential for color fading if exposed to UV light; mounting issues on plexiglass; historical issues include physical vandalism of specific prints in exhibitions (e.g., Avignon 2011).
Conservation Recommendations
Display under UV-filtered acrylic; maintain strictly controlled humidity and temperature; handle only with lint-free gloves to avoid oil transfer to the highly reflective Cibachrome surface.