My idea was that angels were looking down on the earth in awe of the simplistic nature of our design. As is wondering "how can something and so small be so beautiful?"
Project Bach 2012
Click the thumbnails to view the artworks at full size.
Bryce Davidson
Carlos Montilla*
"Through the Eyes"
I wanted to capture the pain, suffering, and sacrifice of Jesus Christ with an intimate piece by focusing on the part of the human body which evokes the most emotion. Also combining the music sheets from Bach's St. Matthew Passion created another layer of drama in this piece.
Christina Kelly*
For my interpretation of Bach's St. Matthew's Passion, I chose to combine two elements of the story and composer to make my image. Using Bach's seal and flowers known to grow in the Garden of Gethsemane, I reinterpreted the visual to fit what I felt at each swell of chorus during the music. Wild Mustard flowers, and seeds, in particular are weighted little symbols from a biblical passage: "The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field" - Matthew 13:31
Danielle Medico
Doves are seen as a symbol for both love and peace, however they are also a symbol for the Holy Spirit. They are often shown flying free as a representation of hope, however in this piece they are shown caught in a tangle of thorns to show the struggle and suffering that Christ endured and, in the end, overcame.
Deanna Burke
The inspiration for this piece came from the symbolism of the last supper, more specifically, the blood of Christ. I was initially intrigued with the concept of drinking the blood of Christ to save you from sin. I also thought about baptisms while doing this, and how baptisms are also meant to cleanse you. The image is that of an awakening, (like the resurrection of Christ within the narrative of Bach's piece) and an immersion and cleansing of the mind through baptism and blood.
Eben Haines
My piece is a depiction of Christ at the resurrection, done in acrylic on board, 12"x16". I wanted to emphasize Christ's cleanliness at being reborn, pristine against the grit of the world behind him. He stands as a new gift, holding a skull as a symbol of his ascent from humanity.
Eliza Brown
Instead of focusing solely on the aspect of religion, I thought about how much of Bach's own passion went into this piece of music. In his own way, he must have had to suffer tremendously to make such a great piece of music, and I wanted to try and convey that thought.
Ethan Walker*
In thinking about this piece i was inspired by the martyrdom and selflessness described in the story of the passion. I wanted to illustrate this same type of self-sacrifice through the figures of animals engaged in a fox hunt.
George Reyes
For this image, I chose to avoid drawing people and instead focus on symbols. The dove is hope, the pattern behind it was inspired by Sainte Chapelle and its stained glass windows and lastly the sea of thorns represents inflicted pain.
Hanna Marine
I was inspired by the concept of pattern and mathematical structure in music, and wanted to use that to capture the feel of Bach's St Matthew Passion. I decided to go with imagery of the musicians and chorus, with hints of cathedral architecture.
* Selected to be displayed in Symphony Hall during Bach St. Matthew Passion concerts March 30 and April 1, 2012.
