TEL AVIV – South African artist Joseph Capelle painted the Stations of the Cross that hang in the Our Lady Woman of Valor Pastoral Center in south Tel Aviv. We can pray reflecting on each station.
Stations of the Cross
Joseph Capelle (South Africa)
Joseph Capelle (South Africa)
Introduction
These paintings are intentionally two
dimensional. I like to think of them as modern day icons. The surface
area is very important to me, so I use flat colors, textured areas, hard
edge and line.
Faces are the main form of expression and
are very often painted in unnatural colors, depending on the mood that I
wish to create in the station. The colors I use are my own expression
of emotion.
My hope is that viewers will develop their own interpretations on each station and will thus be able to deepen their meditation.
Some of the images will shock but I am
hoping that this will lead to a deeper understanding of the redemptive
suffering of Jesus.
1. Jesus is condemned to death
Jesus listens as Pilate condemns him to death. The cross is already part of his being and fits into the building behind him.
Pilate looks down on Jesus. He is shown
as being uncertain of the guilt of Jesus and washes his hands to
distance himself from the condemnation. He is dressed in a flamboyant
outfit while Jesus is humbly attired.
The face in the middle represents the crowd condemning Jesus.
2. Jesus takes up His cross
Jesus cries out in pain as the cross is roughly placed on his shoulders.
The spirit-like figure above Jesus is a symbol that humanity is released from their sins as he takes up his cross.
The abusive face on the right represents the crowd following the proceedings.
3. Jesus falls the first time
Jesus stumbles and falls.
The burning city in the back ground represents what falling, sinful humanity has inflicted upon itself.
But Jesus will rise again and mankind’s redemption will be assured.
4. Jesus meets his mother
A moment of extreme grief and pain.
Against a tumultuous background, Jesus
looks down at his grieving mother as she reaches out to comfort him. Red
spikes pierce the body of Jesus as a symbol of his extreme physical and
emotional pain.
5. Simon helps Jesus carry His cross
On the left, Jesus comes out of the dark, greatly relieved by the assistance of Simon.
Jesus looks up to his Father in thanksgiving, still offering up his cross for the sins of the world.
On the right, Simon, in his own world, is
uncomprehending yet he accepts the cross. The cross is suggested by the
non-figurative shapes between the figures.
6. Veronica wipes the face of Jesus
Veronica, wearing a frivolous head scarf,
impulsively rushes out of the crowd and wipes the exhausted face of
Jesus. She had not originally intended to be involved but this was an
act of love. The cloth seems to almost hang on his face as the image is
imprinted.
7. Jesus falls the second time
Jesus violently crashes against an object
on the side of the road. At the top, an angry soldier shouts abuse,
because by falling, Jesus is wasting his time.
Jesus looks up in agony, his hand reaches
out to try and brake the fall. Non-figurative shapes, like spikes,
pierce his face, to show the violence of the fall.
8. Jesus meets the women of Jerusalem
The women look in shock and horror at
Jesus carrying his cross. They represent women of different race groups
and positions in society. Jesus’ face shows the exhaustion of what he is
experiencing but he still feels concern for these women.
9. Jesus falls a third time
Jesus crashes to the ground and all the flurry of shapes and colors have a strong downward thrust.
The two faces at the top right, represent
the people of the world in sharp altercation, needing the teaching of
Jesus and his redemptive sacrifice.
The painting tries to convey that we should follow his example and pick ourselves up and not be overcome by adversity.
10. Jesus is stripped of his garments
Jesus is so violently stripped of his
garments that all the wounds of the scourging are reopened. The
indignity of this public humiliation shows on his face.
The cross passes through Jesus, signifying his acceptance of the situation.
On the right of the painting, a fully
clothed figure, with hood, mask and veil, emphasizes our ability; to
hide behind a facade, while Jesus has no means of hiding his nakedness.
11. Jesus is nailed to the cross
I chose not to show the actual nailing to
the cross, only the face of Jesus showing the extreme violence of this
moment, when he cries out in agony as the nails are driven into his
hands and feet. The sharp spikes, crisscrossing the painting are an
expression of his extreme pain.
At the top left, the sky has turned a
fiery red, at this outrage. On the top right, are two faces, the first a
prisoner, bound up with wire, symbolizing humanity, a prisoner of their
sins and the second is blind folded, a symbol of those who are blind to
religion and to Jesus, both will be set free from their sins by his
sacrifice.
12. Jesus dies on the cross
The scene is set against an extremely
dramatic sky. The sun, shown as a black disc, represents the three hours
of darkness at the death of Jesus. In the back ground the destruction
of the Temple is shown, representing the misunderstanding of the people
that it was the Temple that would be destroyed and not the body of
Jesus. The pink lighting and the pink spike though the body of Jesus
link this misunderstanding with his statement: “Destroy this Temple and
it will be rebuilt in three days” (John 2:19).
The grieving face of Mary is shown at the bottom right of the painting.
13 Jesus is taken down from the cross
Mary holds the broken body of her Son. A
veil is draped over one side of her face in an attempt to hide her
grief. His face shows exhaustion but also the quiet relief of a mission
fulfilled.
The red line over his body is to indicate the suffering he has endured.
In the background are his empty cross and
a suggestion of the world and all the crosses that have to be carried
by suffering mankind.
14. Jesus is laid in the tomb
Jesus lies in the tomb. A great sun like object hangs over him, an indication of the resurrection which will take place shortly.
Outside the tomb a guard stands with a sly grin on his face, totally oblivious to the event that is about to take place.
15. Jesus rises from the dead
This painting represents the first moment
of resurrection; the eyes of Jesus are wide open and see, not just
worldly light but the light of heaven. His mouth is open to his first
breath. The bright yellow halo not only surrounds his head but passes
through his face.
At the left is a graphic depiction of a rising sun. At the bottom, death is conquered and curls up and dies.
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