Wednesday, February 21, 2007

Veronica Wipes the Face of Christ




Today is the beginning of Lent, an appropriate time to post the collaborative Stations of the Cross piece Wayne and I created for Station Six. The piece is five feet tall and you can't tell by the photo but behind the glass is inset a crumpled piece of cloth. If you have time to go by Xnihilo Gallery in Montrose, you can view this and all the other stations. Saturday, March 3, is an artist reception where you can meet and talk to the artists involved. This show is presented biannually and there will be a wide range of of representation--from paintings to multi media pieces. I actuallly recommend viewing the show at a time when you suspect not many others will be around; it's meant to be a contemplative journey.

The text reads:

Veronica Wipes the Face of Christ

and out of his sweat pours the salt of a million burnt backs,
and out of his blood the pus and poison of lesions and lepers
out of his tears the cry of every bruised and battered child,
every lonely, forsaken night, the dirt and spittle, drainage
of a wounded world from which he will not turn away

and for whom he climbs the hill.

days later she searches out the still moist rag
balled in a pile of soiled linen.
she lifts it to her face, closes her eyes,
breathes it in, finds it still reeks
with undiminished love.

4 comments:

jenni said...

A stunning collaboration. I can't wait to view it in person on Friday with a friend.

Anonymous said...

Damned good poem!

Anonymous said...

Awesome. You guys will have to collaborate more. Have you heard much in the way of feedback from Xnhilo?

allison said...

Thank you!

We've heard a trickle of feedback so far. We're contemplating what our next collaboration should entail. I think we should do a station each year until we've done them all--a unique Lenten offering that would keep us busy for over a decade!