WHO TOOK ON SHAME

“Who Took on Shame” is one of my latest paintings that I diligently worked on for about a month. Throughout the work I discovered outbursts of emotion in hidden details that I’d like to share with you.

In the “Shadows”
Throughout my artistic discipline I use both the practice and symbolism of inverting light in all of my pieces. This is most clearly noticed in the brilliant white of the hair and clothing of the subjects but also in the subtlety of light sources emerging from where shadows normally lie.

In this depiction of shame the subject casts shadows onto the wall behind him. In the final piece this instead evokes the casting of light. Instead of painting this in white lighter paint I layered paint to darken the shadows above and around the figure. This allowed the messiness of the under painting to shine through as the light inverted shadow. As a result this light is cast exposing the chaotic and fractured nature of the world around it.

This details surprises me and seems to transport me to new heights as I reflect on it now. In the depiction of Christ taking on shame He exposes the world for what it is. The light He emanates exposes every surface to be seen accurately and without facade.

This application of paint also darkened the space around the subjects head and down past his body which allowed a question mark to emerge. This now hangs and looks over the subject’s head.

There is so much left unsaid in the valley of shame. Justice seems to be on pause, one side of the narrative is under minded, and questions linger.

Here the subject is not given the glory of an idealized heavenly halo but a question mark, a lingering doubt and request for an answer to be given.

I think of Christ in this way as He entrusted Himself to his Father’s opinion and view of Him. In the looming question marks or opinions surrounding Him He could rest His head. There as if leaving a question mark to us around Him He invites us to look to the his God and His Father for the answer to the question that His life presents. There on the shoulders of His Father He takes His final breath entrusting the answer to only Him instead.