the good news is… great love for God and neighbor
READ
LL Cool J | Nicolette Faison
12″x24″ Acrylic, marker, paper collage on canvas
ARTIST STATEMENT
Ladies love Cool Jesus. For real. Women absolutely loved Jesus, and the woman with the alabaster jar is a great example of that. Who else shows up to an event unannounced with expensive oils to not only anoint someone’s feet but to then offer their tears and use their hair to wipe the feet clean? I don’t think people comprehend the drama within that part of the story. This was an act of love, admiration, and prophecy. To me, this interpretation of the story gives the woman the attention she deserves.
When I thought about the theme, Tell Me Something Good, I realized I had spent much of my year guest preaching at classic church buildings with stained glass windows which told the parishioners the good news of Jesus. It felt most appropriate to bring the concept of stained glass into my art. Instead of the maximalist collage approach that I often use, I chose to let the paint tell the story. The color choice is both bright and vibrant yet softer than other pieces. I selected the yellow purposely to contrast the purple hair. In an attempt to clearly separate the blue sky glass from the rest of the piece, I layered patterns with a red/pink color scale to make the art pop, emphasizing the distinct glass shapes one could find on a church window.
Several aspects of the piece are deconstructed, such as the woman’s head and the foot of Jesus, both detached from bodies. I intentionally emphasize these elements to not distract us from the core of the story. The woman was intimately entwined with the feet of Jesus, her hair entangled with his leg. She released tears that would nourish his toes as the rich oil replenished his skin. To be cared for, to be seen, to be loved, that is something good.
Written by Rev. Nicolette Faison
LOOK
In the artwork, notice how deconstructed details are entwined together. What parts of the image draw your attention the most?