For Good Friday this year, I took on my most ambitious painting project to date: Graffiti Stations of the Cross.
The Stations of the Cross is a tradition going back hundreds of years that makes it possible for a worshiper to walk in the footsteps of Jesus to the cross without a costly journey to the Holy Land. Through artistic depictions of the Gospel accounts, worshippers can pray and meditate upon each "station" as they follow Jesus to the cross. I love that this tradition makes it possible for those who may lack the resources necessary to physically visit Jerusalem to nevertheless connect with the crucified Christ.
For me, it was important to express the stations through the lens of graffiti, which is another way of delivering this tradition to a non-traditional audience. Graffiti has been known as "the voice of the streets," and it's an essential element of hip hop culture—a multiethnic cultural movement birthed in New York. In bringing the pilgrimage to the people through the tradition of the Stations, and through the utilization of a pop art medium like graffiti, my goal was to make our Good Friday meditations upon the cross accessible to all.
My Stations were inspired by the bold graphic symbols created by Lauren Wright Pittman, from A Sanctified Art. She created the twelve symbols in the center of each piece, and they reflect a sensitivity to the emotional journey to the cross, as well as an emphasis on the role of women in the story. Another artist whose stark and beautiful designs inspired me is Scott Erickson. His graphically designed Stations in the Street contain powerful imagery, some of which I incorporated. Huge thanks to these fantastic artists for their inspirational works.
Below is a gallery of the twelve paintings I created. Once you select a thumbnail, a dialogue box with directional arrows will guide you through the rest of the images.
The Stations of the Cross is a tradition going back hundreds of years that makes it possible for a worshiper to walk in the footsteps of Jesus to the cross without a costly journey to the Holy Land. Through artistic depictions of the Gospel accounts, worshippers can pray and meditate upon each "station" as they follow Jesus to the cross. I love that this tradition makes it possible for those who may lack the resources necessary to physically visit Jerusalem to nevertheless connect with the crucified Christ.
For me, it was important to express the stations through the lens of graffiti, which is another way of delivering this tradition to a non-traditional audience. Graffiti has been known as "the voice of the streets," and it's an essential element of hip hop culture—a multiethnic cultural movement birthed in New York. In bringing the pilgrimage to the people through the tradition of the Stations, and through the utilization of a pop art medium like graffiti, my goal was to make our Good Friday meditations upon the cross accessible to all.
My Stations were inspired by the bold graphic symbols created by Lauren Wright Pittman, from A Sanctified Art. She created the twelve symbols in the center of each piece, and they reflect a sensitivity to the emotional journey to the cross, as well as an emphasis on the role of women in the story. Another artist whose stark and beautiful designs inspired me is Scott Erickson. His graphically designed Stations in the Street contain powerful imagery, some of which I incorporated. Huge thanks to these fantastic artists for their inspirational works.
Below is a gallery of the twelve paintings I created. Once you select a thumbnail, a dialogue box with directional arrows will guide you through the rest of the images.