Crossview Lutheran Art Festival: Painting in Progress
The cruciform is a common abstract motif. I use it quite often. It seems appropriate as a symbol to work with during Lent. Today I was thinking about the cross as I painted and the seeming incongruity of wearing a symbol of torture around our necks, and as earrings and rings, especially when they are encrusted with jewels. I thought, would we wear the guillotine around our necks as jewelry? Or, symbols of waterboarding? It is odd, isn't it? What does it mean when we wear the cross as adornment? I am also beginning another commission today that has to do with the crucifixion, that is due in a week. So you see where my mind is... The cross is a most heinous and ugly instrument of torture. My fear is that we have allowed the cross to be
watered down by how we use this symbol in our daily lives. We lose the sense of how utterly diabolical this instrument of torture was. How capable we all are of participating in individual and communal violence against those who differ from us, believe differently from us or who threaten our status quo. I guess if it is a reminder of our culpability, maybe it is a good visual reminder. Deep thoughts swirling around today....