Mary Magdalene

Comment

Comment by Alec M Smith on February 28, 2015 at 5:44pm

Thank you for your thoughtful feedback. You struck at some core narrative elements in the painting and brought some of your own interpretation as well. I really appreciate both. When I was researching for this painting I was a bit overwhelmed with all the elements that make up Mary Magdalene. All the different identities that have been embraced over the last couple thousand years and some elements that come from long before. After struggling with the sense that I had to pick some aspects and leave others out, I finaly let go to the fact that they are all her. The layers to the myth of Mary Magdalene seem like the layers of sedimentary rock. Unique layers that tell a different story but all make up the same stone.

Comment by Resident Curator on February 27, 2015 at 8:18pm

Curators Comments:

 

While I’m attracted to your masterfully modeled (cast bronze?) sculptures, this painting of Mary Magdalene is a particularly captivating work from a psychological standpoint.  The suspenseful crouch of the figure could warn of impeding danger, or anticipation.  Her face reveals a pale and stony luster similar to the adjacent rocks, while her clothing is luminous in complementary crimson and green hues.  It’s curious that her flowing garments hold the most life in the picture in terms of fluid movement and color, while her skin and the background are relatively achromatic and rigid. The natural opening of her hiding place closes around her and meets the contours of her body, without confirming in an organic fit. While she is not depicted as particularly beautiful, I sense a serene quality in her expression that somewhat contracts her recoiled gesture.  I also find myself wondering if the tree jutting through the crack in the rock above her is intended to be iconographic or symbolic.  Considering the complexity of her character from antiquity, the tree could be viewed as a resilient entity, seeking survival and light out of undeniable imprisonment.