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Drawings: Crosses

Drawings: Crosses


In a short series of drawings Cunningham explored the art historical iconography of the cross with images seemingly depicting the crucifixion and deposition of Christ. While some images privilege a representation of the landscape in airy, lyrical compositions, others explicitly focus on the traditional figuration of the three crosses, including in some instances abstract symbols to signify the importance of such momentous event. Despite the immediate visual connection to Christian narratives, however, the artist consistently asserted that these images were meant to represent the theme of the ‘Thieves on the cross’.

In Christianity, the element of the cross is implicitly connected to multiple discourses surrounding the possibility of saving mankind, of elevating humanity through an act of selfless sacrifice. Due to the cultural dominance of religion in Western artistic production, this ubiquitous figuration has recurred for the last two thousand years not only in sacred spaces but also in public and intimate sites and has been explored through countless artistic media.

If, traditionally, the cross constitutes a metonymy for Christ himself, in 20th century artistic expressions it has also assumed new meanings, somewhat disengaged from its religious connotations. The cross became a paradoxical symbol of humiliation and elevation, of suffering and salvation, of both life and death. For instance, in Francis Bacon’s ‘Crucifixion’ series, which do not include explicit representation of Christ himself but nevertheless clearly reference the visual tropes associated to such compositions, a sense of bleak hopelessness transpires through bodily distortions and chromatic contrasts. Yet, in art throughout the centuries the cross has also assumed joyful and celebratory aspects In Salvador Dalí’s famous ‘Christ on the Cross’ paintings, the artist combines a meticulously detailed materialistic composition with a majestic, awe-inspiring sense of beauty.

A similar sense of sacred, ineffable power is present in Cunningham’s drawings. Rather than depicting contorted figures through expressionist figurations, he conveyed a fascinating sense of mystery through his sketch-like compositions. Often, Cunningham focused on the architectonical aspect of these scenes, reducing the bodies on the cross into diminutive, entirely darkened forms. Remarkable, in this context, is the drawing which includes four separate landscape panels, each portraying a different moment or a different perspective of the event. These landscape sketches also include studies of the sky, possibly in relation to the evangelical narratives according to which the sky darkened in a divine response to the violence and cruelty of humanity. In the handful of images that represent the deposition, a term which refers to the removal of dead bodies from the cross to be buried, Cunningham rendered sorrowful moments with a lyrical, emotive quality. Despite each facial feature being darkened by thin ink lines, he powerfully conveyed the utter, bleak pain of spiritual and material loss.

But mostly, what is explored in this series is the possibility to portray light and transcendent power through linear signs and geometrical forms. Cunningham did not rely on portraiture to convey this sense of majesty and force, but employed linear signs, functioning almost as vectors that elevate forms and bodies to a different, higher dimension. Whether Cunningham aimed to represent the crucifixion in its religious sense or not, it is indisputable that these images communicate deep, powerful meanings that urgently demand an emotive response.

Ultimately, while Cunningham’s intent remains elusive, the significance of these images is determined by those who see them. Depending on their viewership, they could convey spiritual experiences, art historical studies on forms and their relations, or psychological meanings about human alienation and dereliction. Alternately suggesting the possibility of salvation, a sense of quiet, dull sorrow or even simply displaying the astonishing beauty of the Golgotha Hill, covered in light and surrounded by tempestuous clouds, this series is as cryptic as it is compelling. Enveloping viewers with their impenetrable force, these images evoke a haunting event of cosmic proportions.

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