Artwork Description:
Station number THIRTEEN is entitled, CHRIST IS TAKEN DOWN FROM THE CROSS. This wall assemblage was executed in mixed media on stretched canvas. On this canvas I attached eight digitally altered photographs. . . that all depict the same scene but in different visual variations. . . around a sunflower stem with roots. The scene shows Christs lifeless body at the foot of the cross in the arms of Mary Magdalene, John, and the Virgin Mary Joseph of Armathea is looking on. All four, lost in grief, hurry to place Christ in the tomb of Joseph before the Sabbath sundown. An unglazed porcelain skull nestled in the cross roots represents Adam. One photo contains realistic coloring, while the seven others contain shading, tones, and colors to represent the confused madness of that moment. The painted background of cadmium red and black adds to the frantic movement. Still, the central gold background areas add both light and stability to the bare cross. A sunflower, which symbolizes growth and hope in iconography, was used to make the cross in this STATION. Materials included acrylic paint, mica, found hold card in trash for digital photos, titanium dioxide, dried pigments, thread, cast iron cross coated with enamel, altered digital photographs, water color paper, high gloss Kodak photographic paper decorative Chinese art paper gold leaf, glue, gold dust, porcelain, dried sunflower stem with roots, wood, canvas.