Nazareno

Oil on Masonite, 24"x30"
finished Feb. 17, 2006 (but still unsigned... this is becoming a bad habit)

(Classwork: The assignment was to use a photographic reference. We were given options like abstraction, stop motion, dramatic perspective, photorealism... I went with a little abstraction, but mostly with montage, which wasn't actually listed as an option. I figured, it's just a starting point, right?)

WIP
Photos
Sketch

Okay, before you go off the handle, no, it's not a KKK clansman. It's a Nazareno. (Hence the title. See?) During Holy Week (Semana Santa) in Spain, each church sends their members out in the colors of the brotherhood, complete with big embroidered crests and banner-like things, and candles, and two big floats, one with a lifesized Jesus, and the second with a lifesized Mary/Virgin. Everything's gorgeous and sumptuous and there's music... But for an American, the ones in all white are still kind of creepy.

Originally, this painting was just sort of about surface, and gesture, and mood, maybe. But as I saw how people reacted to it, it became informed by that, too. It sort of became about jumping to conclusions in addition to purely formal concerns.

It's very different from my "normal" work, and I learned tons during the process. I'm incredibly pleased with it.

Any feedback (regarding technique, content, formal issues, whatever) is very, very welcome. I'm interested to hear what people outside of my class think of it.