Psalms 63 & 69

In response to the “religious liberty” laws and in the grand tradition of the Christian zealots misquoting scripture to justify LGBT discrimination, Stephen Chen takes a leaf from their bible by composing religious musical settings of Psalms 63 and 69 that highlight their respective homoerotic undertones which correspond to the implied sexual positions. Drawing from a rich resource of erotic imagery in the Bible, it is wholly (holy) appropriate as it even states in the beloved Psalm 23 taught to all children “I shall not want for He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters … your rod and your staff, they comfort me.”

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RUNNING TIME: VARIOUS | COMPLETED: 09/15 | CLOSE CAPTIONED | COMPOSED & DIRECTED BY: Stephen Chen


PSALM 63 (My lips glorify you) – An allusion to the blinders and hypocrisies of religion and the Tea Party. Because the psalm text and the number 63 is reminiscent of teabagging, the vocal line goes up and down and up and down like a teabag.

PSALM 69 (For waters have come up to my neck) – Music video for setting of Psalm 69 using eroticized Christian art to flag the double entendres in the text of Psalm 69. The music’s spasmodic chordal accompaniment followed by a trickling melodic line evokes the coming of Christ.

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dissonance productions

Started by trans-discplinary art-ivist Stephen Chen to consolidate his recent work; as well as facilitate collaboration with others. Stephen’s oeuvre is often allegorical as well as simultaneously deconstruct and hybridize the very forms he works in. Disdaining academic and esoteric expressions, as well as institutional conventions and practices, Stephen explores complex ideas and issues immanent in his works through experiments in form and technique.

dissonance productions