The Crucifix Book
I had a good friend once who commented to me, "I hate the crucifix." I can't say I blame him. It's a brutal image of a tortured man, and there's no reason in the world why anyone should enjoy seeing it. I don't. And yet, as a Catholic, it means a lot to me. The crucified Jesus, suffering not only for us but with us. With me.
A few years ago I filled up a 6" x 6" sketchbook with nothing but these pencil drawings of the naked and suffering Jesus. They were never meant to be made public, but looking back at them now, after not seeing them for a long time, I'm finding more meaning in them than I expected, I wonder if it's time to share them. Some are more naturalistic and portray the suffering man, while others I find to be more stylized and emblematic. Some look more Jewish, some not so much... I don't know if any of them are completely successful. But, of course, it is only a sketchbook. I have never attempted a finished drawing or painting on this theme, of any scale or with any set intention. And I don't know if I would. But there is something in the sketches that I find I value...
A few years ago I filled up a 6" x 6" sketchbook with nothing but these pencil drawings of the naked and suffering Jesus. They were never meant to be made public, but looking back at them now, after not seeing them for a long time, I'm finding more meaning in them than I expected, I wonder if it's time to share them. Some are more naturalistic and portray the suffering man, while others I find to be more stylized and emblematic. Some look more Jewish, some not so much... I don't know if any of them are completely successful. But, of course, it is only a sketchbook. I have never attempted a finished drawing or painting on this theme, of any scale or with any set intention. And I don't know if I would. But there is something in the sketches that I find I value...
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