Unpacking The Nativity
By Tom Wachunas
“We consider
Christmas as the encounter, the great encounter, the historical encounter, the
decisive encounter, between God and mankind. He who has faith knows this truly;
let him rejoice.” - Pope Paul VI
EXHIBIT: Nativity, at Translations Art Gallery,
THROUGH NOVEMBER 30, 331 Cleveland Avenue NW, downtown Canton. Gallery hours
are Wednesday- Saturday Noon to 5 PM (closed Thanksgiving).
I am deeply
grateful to Translations curator Craig Joseph for his invitation to be one of
the 15 participating artists in this remarkably eclectic interpretation of the
birth of Jesus. Those of you who know me can appreciate how it’s a subject
solidly within my creative wheelhouse. So in this case I will depart from a
self-imposed rule to not speak of my
work when commenting on group shows that include it, and tell you something
about my piece. But first, I offer some words about those works here that
resonate most with my Christmas sensibilities.
Fredlee Votaw’s ambitious
installation, Nativity, is a lovingly
constructed assemblage of sculptures and
artifacts that clearly allude to Scriptural nativity accounts. Some of the
wooden forms are literal, others symbolic. Together, their woody yet refined
rawness exudes an ancient, reverential quietude.
A similar aura
emanates from a much smaller and more abstracted wall piece by Kevin Anderson,
also titled Nativity. Here, though, the precisely-cut walnut pieces,
representing the Holy Family and other attendees on the scene, have a
distinctly contemporary feel, right down (or up, actually) to the lighted arrow
sign that hovers above the “stable.” Something like a theater marquee, the sign
bears the word “KING,” lest we forget whom we behold. Anderson further
emphasizes the fact by rendering the baby Jesus as a white cylinder in contrast
to all the other rectangular forms.
Twelve earthy,
organic ceramic forms set on a table comprise Laura Donnelly’s Wise Men Still Seek… These forms, with
ornate patterns pressed into the clay, are anthropomorphized vessels, each
named for a spiritual gift. The work is a poignant reminder that to celebrate
the Nativity is to celebrate the author of all life. As He bestowed on us gifts
such as Joy, Nurturing and Generosity, among others, we would be wise in
seeking to do the same for each other.
The tiny, arresting
oil painting by Erin Mulligan, Blood and
Water, is a fetal portrait, and beautiful in a visceral way. For all of its
pragmatic detailing, the piece is nonetheless a precious icon of sorts,
bringing to mind a passage from 1 John, verses 5 - 6: “Who is it that overcomes
the world? Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God. This is the one
who came by water and blood – Jesus Christ.”
There’s also a
visceral pragmatism about the piece by Li Hertzi, titled Did Mary know that her… But along with its somewhat jarring blend
of wispy illuminated glass “flames” that glow amid pieces of what appear to be
real bone, the work is invested with a haunting, lyrical mystique. The assemblage
protrudes from a wooden stool seat, inscribed with the words, “Beautiful flesh
and blood cradled his magnificent light.”
For sheer
conceptual scope – the whole Truth - the fused glass assemblage by David McDowell
is particularly compelling. He rightly reminds us in his extensive written
statement (well worth the time to read carefully) that the Nativity is but one
chapter, albeit a vital one, in an unbroken and unbreakable continuum of
necessary Biblical events. They culminate in the gripping visions laid out in
the book of Revelation. To unbelievers, those visions are horrifying,
mystifying, threatening. Isn’t Jesus, Lord of all creation, supposed to be the
merciful Saviour, Peacemaker, loving Redeemer? But he’s also the perfect
promise- keeper and Judge. Sobering stuff indeed.
So then, on to my
mixed media wall piece, titled Who for
the joy set before him. Like David McDowell, I wanted to widen the scope of
my offering by embracing the larger Scriptural picture. I don’t believe we can
fully realize the impact of the Nativity until and unless we see the whole
purpose of God incarnate. I present him here as a lamb (in a stone manger),
bound for sacrifice. “Look, the lamb of God who takes away the sins of the
world!” - John 1:29
As for the
specific architectural look of the piece – its suggestion of a stone interior -
here are some observations that might shed some light, so to speak, on your
understanding of the Biblical account.
Was Jesus born in
a simple wooden stable, a barn, or a cave, as traditional Western-world
depictions would have us imagine? The Nativity account in Luke 2 mentions only
that the baby was laid in a manger – a feeding trough for flock animals –
because there were no available accommodations at the “inn.”
In Greek (the
language of the Gospels), the word we have generally translated as “inn” is kataluma, and appears in only one other
context in the New Testament (Luke 22:11 and parallel passage in Mark 14:14),
in reference to preparations for the Passover meal that was Jesus’ “last
supper.” Luke’s account of those preparations makes very clear that this kataluma was a furnished upstairs guest
room in a house.
Hence it is
reasonable to think that Joseph and Mary had traveled to Joseph’s family home
in Bethlehem for the census, and that the upstairs guest chamber was already
filled with other, likely elder members of Joseph’s extended family.
Additionally, it
is interesting to note that in the ancient world, stone houses typically
included accommodations for a few animals (including a built-in stone manger)
that were kept indoors on the ground level at night.
The title of this
work remembers the reason for Jesus’ coming, planned from the beginning of all
creation, taken from Hebrews 12:2 – “Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author
and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross,
scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”
PHOTOS (from top):
Nativity by Fredlee Votaw; Nativity by Kevin Anderson; Blood and Water by Erin Mulligan; fused
glass assemblage by David McDowell; Who
for the joy set before him, by Tom Wachunas
No comments:
Post a Comment