Virginia Maksymowicz
Stations of the Cross
The Stations of the Cross were commissioned by St. Thomas Episcopal Church in Lancaster, PA and were completed in the spring of 2005.
This commission gave me the opportunity to apply my own contemporary vision to an artistic form that dates back to the 13th century.
For both aesthetic and conceptual reasons, I felt it imperative to work with a variety of models—a total of eleven, culled from a wide range of ages and ethnicities. I wanted the narrative of Christ’s passion and death to be represented in a way that is tensioned between the “specific” and the “universal.” The mixture of models and the anonymity implied by the fragmented figures push the imagery toward representation of the human community in its universal aspect (often called in theological terms “the mystical body of Christ”).
The Stations were cast from life into Hydrocal FGR 95 and are 24" square. Two sets were made: one resides permanently at St. Thomas.
The other set was exhibited at Allegheny College in Meadville, PA; the Narthex Gallery at Saint Peter's Lutheran/ Citicorp Center and the National Museum of Catholic Art and History in NYC; the Village Presbyterian Church in Prairie Village, KS; the Philadelphia Episcopal Cathedral; and Memorial Hall at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, DC. In 2022, it found a permanent home at St. Mark's Episcopal Cathedral in Seattle, WA.
In 2015, in conjunction with Pope Francis's visit to Philadelphia, I participated in an exhibition at the Globe Dye Works, a defunct factory now used for art exhibitions. I showed the master "patterns," i.e. the assembled forms from which the fabricators made the molds and cast the positives for the commission. These patterns bear the scars of the production process: the discoloration of the lacquer sealants, cracks, chips and broken fingers.The patterns were positioned around the industrial machinery in a manner reminiscent of the Museo Centrale Montemartini, another former industrial space in Rome.
The Stations at St. ThomasComposite panorama of the Stations as commissioned by St. Thomas Episcopal Church in Lancaster, PA. | The Stations at St. ThomasTwo of the Stations as commissioned by St. Thomas Episcopal Church in Lancaster, PA. |
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The Stations at the NMCAHExhibition of the second set of the Stations at the National Museum of Catholic Art and History in New York City. View shown here with sculpture by Muriel Castanis. | The Stations at St. Mark'sTwo of the second set of Stations at St. Mark's Episcopal Cathedral, Seattle, WA. |
The Stations at St. Mark'sOne of the second set of Stations at St. Mark's Episcopal Cathedral, Seattle, WA. | Jesus is condemned to deathHydrocal FGR 95; each panel measures 24” x 24” with the depth varying from 2” to 9"; 2005 |
Jesus takes up his crossHydrocal FGR 95; each panel measures 24” x 24” with the depth varying from 2” to 9"; 2005 | Jesus falls the first timeHydrocal FGR 95; each panel measures 24” x 24” with the depth varying from 2” to 9"; 2005 |
Jesus meets his motherHydrocal FGR 95; each panel measures 24” x 24” with the depth varying from 2” to 9"; 2005 | Simon, Cyrene, helps carry the crossHydrocal FGR 95; each panel measures 24” x 24” with the depth varying from 2” to 9"; 2005 |
A woman wipes the face of JesusHydrocal FGR 95; each panel measures 24” x 24” with the depth varying from 2” to 9"; 2005 | Jesus falls a second timeHydrocal FGR 95; each panel measures 24” x 24” with the depth varying from 2” to 9"; 2005 |
Jesus meets the women of JerusalemHydrocal FGR 95; each panel measures 24” x 24” with the depth varying from 2” to 9"; 2005 | Jesus falls the third timeHydrocal FGR 95; each panel measures 24” x 24” with the depth varying from 2” to 9"; 2005 |
Jesus is stripped of his garmentsHydrocal FGR 95; each panel measures 24” x 24” with the depth varying from 2” to 9"; 2005 | Jesus is nailed to the crossHydrocal FGR 95; each panel measures 24” x 24” with the depth varying from 2” to 9"; 2005 |
Jesus dies on the crossHydrocal FGR 95; each panel measures 24” x 24” with the depth varying from 2” to 9"; 2005 | Jesus’ body is taken down from the cHydrocal FGR 95; each panel measures 24” x 24” with the depth varying from 2” to 9"; 2005 |
Jesus’ body is placed in the tombHydrocal FGR 95; each panel measures 24” x 24” with the depth varying from 2” to 9"; 2005 | Via CrucisInstallation of the master patterns from the Stations of the Cross at the Globe Dye Works in Philadelphia. Hydrostone, wood, plastic netting and amber shellac. |
Via CrucisInstallation of the master patterns from the Stations of the Cross at the Globe Dye Works in Philadelphia. Hydrostone, wood, plastic netting and amber shellac. | Via CrucisInstallation of the master patterns from the Stations of the Cross at the Globe Dye Works in Philadelphia. Hydrostone, wood, plastic netting and amber shellac. |
Via CrucisInstallation of the master patterns from the Stations of the Cross at the Globe Dye Works in Philadelphia. Hydrostone, wood, plastic netting and amber shellac. |