Chris Woods: Way of the Cross

Additional Information

Christ Dies on the Cross, 1994, study for station #12, pencil on paper

Chilliwack artist, Chris Woods, was commissioned by a parishioner to paint the stations of the cross for St. David's Anglican Church in Vancouver. As John Bentley Mays writes in the Globe and Mail, "Since late medieval times, the 14 images of Via Dolorosa, carved or painted, have been common sights in Roman Catholic churches and many Anglican ones. They were put there to serve as visual anchors for a sequence of special hymns, prayers and devotions used most frequently during Lent. The idea was, and is, to pause reverently and re-live the poignant moment recalled by each image and it's title." While Chris Woods has used conventional titles such as 'Jesus is Condemned to Death', 'Jesus Meets his Mother', and 'Jesus Dies on the Cross', his characters are contemporary citizens. They dress in contemporary t-shirts and leather jackets or suits and are clearly located in downtown Vancouver. Way of the Cross addresses the historical prominence of ecclesiastical art, while reinventing it for a secular time. The preparatory sketches for the panels will be displayed at Dunlop Art Gallery.