Sacred Whore: Abandoned by Two Donors

Comment

Comment by Resident Curator on April 17, 2015 at 9:55am

Curator’s Comments:

 

Sacred Whore: Abandoned by Two Donors in a remarkable piece- I realize it’s not recently added to the site, but neither do I recall seeing it before.  The lush Eden-esque jungle environment is daunting in its mysterious envelopment of the crucified figure.  The blackish green shadow in the center of the picture plane creates a deep cavern, beautifully offsetting the psychological and atmospheric relationships between figurative elements and invented landscape. The snake within the alternatingly dark and yellow-green foliage alternately presents salubrious vegetation and the seductive allure of poison.  I see the cool blue skin of the legs peeking out through the vines as death-like, but also emitting otherworldliness against the natural state. Just as the pale blue flower petals reflect the same coloration; perhaps reminding us that death and suffering are in fact part of the natural plan.  Furthering the iconographic color story, deep crimson cloth and bloody flesh wounds further presents an emotionally threatening and painful content.  The title of the painting itself creates a cryptic and suggestive description.  I’m not familiar with the reference, if it’s Biblical or Apocryphal. But the chosen language and symbolic depiction of archetypal elements weaves together the Judeo-Christian narrative.