By Jenna Kersten ’17
Art has the potential to bring new relevance and heightened meaning to its viewers by showcasing a different perspective on already established concepts. Siena students recently had this opportunity by creating a series of pieces that portray the last words of Jesus Christ on canvas.
The project began when Terra Nova Church in Troy, N.Y. commissioned two artists from their congregation to help create works for their upcoming Good Friday service. These artists were Scott Foster, M.F.A., assistant professor of creative arts, and his wife Katria Foster, M.F.A., adjunct professor of creative arts. They decided to create these pieces in collaboration with students from Siena’s Figure Studio course during the fall 2014 semester.
“It’s one thing to read the words. It’s another thing to not only see them performed in the pose, but also have a part in recreation,” said creative arts major Luke Lavera ‘15. “That’s where we were able to explore the heritage of Siena.”
The series of paintings were created as an innovative response to the more commonly known “Stations of the Cross” of the Lenten period. Instead of depicting Christ on his journey to the crucifixion, the Last Words of Christ series aims to bring heightened relevance to Christ’s last words of the cross, such as the biblical phrases, “My God, why have you forsaken me?” and “It is finished.”
The artwork will have a profound impact on the church community at Terra Nova by connecting biblical imagery to the modern day. “The Christian church has a long history of using liturgical imagery to inspire meditation on the profound themes of scripture, especially around the death and resurrection of Christ,” said Ed Marcelle, lead pastor of Terra Nova Church.
The works produced during this project were designed to emphasize the humanity of Christ, which has contemporary ramifications for how the church advocates for social justice, community engagement and compassion. “We wanted to move away from the literal depiction of the narrative, and through abstraction, focus on what makes the words—with their themes of community, suffering, and hope—truly universally relevant,” Scott Foster said.
Siena students played a large part in creating the depictions of this narrative and had an important impact on the development of their own artistic talents. “It opened me up to a whole new way of how to see the human figure,” said Lavera, whose senior capstone was inspired by this project. “It gave me the medium to tell my story," he said.
The artwork will be displayed in the Terra Nova Gallery at 409 River Street in Troy throughout Holy Week (March 29 -- April 5) and during the month of April. It will also be used as a part of Terra Nova’s Good Friday service on April 3.
This project was made possible through support from the Siena College Center for Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity, Office of Academic Community Engagement and Committee on Teaching and Faculty Development.
