gouache and pencil on canvas
Commissioned by Church of the City New York
God is OBSESSED with women.The Bible is filled with stories of heroic, generous, bold, radical, clever women. They are mothers, patrons, and leaders. From the Annunciation to the Resurrection, women were the first witnesses to the story of God.
“Nothing Will Be Wasted / All Will Be Made Right” is a collection of paintings reflecting on the relationship between God and women in the complex, hidden, and vulnerable parts of the female experience. The works depict women—both named and unnamed—who were not only miraculously healed but also miraculously generous: with their bodies, resources, time, gifts, and reputations.
This series is inspired by the ancient Christian motif of the tetramorph. Depicted in Ezekiel and Revelation, the tetramorph consists of four creatures—the angel, the lion, the ox, and the eagle—often symbolizing the four evangelists and the distinct spirit of their gospels. This series reframes the motif, emphasizing the *women* of the gospels, as well as those in the book of Acts, who bore witness to the ministry of Jesus and the early Church.
Inspiration : The Tetramorph [ imagery of the four gospels as the four headed creature—Matthew, the angel / Mark, the lion / Luke, the ox / John, the eagle ]
It started with a table cloth The canvas used to make “Nothing Will Be Wasted/All Will Be Made Right” was previously the table cloth used at the opening dinner for “Joyful Noise!”. The back of the paintings still bear the marks of wine and wax.
Using materials already on handThe works began as purely abstracted pieces utilizing the existing collection of paints already on hand, rather than buy new materials.
These paints ranged from neon red Golden purchased during time in London, to thrifted house paints from San Francisco, craft acyrlics snagged from mom’s collection back in NC (thanks mom!) to leftover gouache from works made since moving back to NY.
These blended colors represent different places called home, the memories collected as a nomad and a strong belief that experiences are never wasted even if they don’t go as planned.
“Do touch the art”During the process of making these paintings the abstract canvases were left out for a week in Church of the City New York’s Prayer room, where anyone passing by was invited to lay hands on the art. This invitation to touch the art has been inspired by the verse in Acts 19:11-12 “God gave Paul the power to perform unusual miracles. When handkerchiefs or aprons that had merely touched his skin were placed on sick people, they were healed of their diseases, and evil spirits were expelled.”
What is unseen is not insignificant In order to achieve the final result of these pieces, much of the initial abstract paintings were covered up—a nod to the act of sacrifice and the regularly unseen, hidden work of women.
A contemporary alter piece—
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