The Garden (The Veil is Torn by the Blood of Jesus)
Acrylic, oil, and mixed media on wood, 2022
The Garden is about separation and reconciliation. The entire bible message is about salvation through Jesus Christ. The first understanding is that in the Garden of Eden, a sinless man and woman committed the first sin against God by breaking God's rules. From this point on, humankind sinned, and sin separated the people from God. To reconcile themselves to God, they would have to perform various ritualistic sacrifices of various kinds of offerings every time they sinned and were once again separated from God. Now, the gospel message is that Jesus Christ was born through immaculate conception, led a sinless life, and died a sinless death. When Jesus Christ died on the cross, he became an eternal sacrifice for those who believed in who he was. That he is and was the Son of God, and his blood atoned for mankind's sins against God forevermore. Separation and reconciliation. The physical manifestation of this occurred the moment Jesus died on the cross, and that is the main inspiration for The Garden.
In the time of Jesus, the temple of the Lord contained an innermost chamber called the holy of holies. This was the room that contained the ark of the covenant and, in turn, was the room where God’s presence dwelt on earth. Only the high priest could enter this room, and even he could only enter it once a year on the day of atonement to perform offerings for the forgiveness of God’s people. The holy of holies was separated from the rest of the temple by a thick curtain referred to as the veil. When Jesus' spirit left his body upon his death, this veil split down the center as in the book of Matthew, “And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up His spirit. And behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth shook, and the rocks were split.” It split because Jesus destroyed the separation between believers and God. That the spirit and presence of God could now dwell in the spirit of those who believed in their hearts and confessed with their mouth that Jesus Christ is Lord. Most often, people associate salvation with salvation from eternal damnation to hell, while this is true according to the text, the real salvation is from a place where God is absent. Salvation is about the presence of God in one’s life, here on earth, and once we die in the heavenly realm.
The Garden is an arched box with doors reminiscent of “the tabernacle.” The tabernacle in catholicism is usually a box or dome cabinet that holds the consecrated Eucharist, also known as holy communion in Christian churches. When you open The Garden, the interior of the doors reads “The Veil Is Torn,” in reference to the aforementioned information. Inside, we see the exterior garden in which a couple embraces in consolement as they weep. They are grieving the death of a loved one. They are surrounded by the night sky, which is painted in the Gothic and Renaissance style of gold stars against a dark blue backdrop to signify “the heavens.” Through a window, we see the interior of a home. The character of Padre sits in a chair with a cat. The interior looks warm and comfortable with its glowing light and warm colors. The exterior represents the earthly realm and the interior represents the heavenly realm. While there is a separation, we can glimpse it and be near it before we enter into it; this is what the window represents. This whole piece is about the grief we find in death, whether our own or someone we love. A natural emotion when we are separated from someone we love. While it is a sad thing, we are surrounded by the beauty of this earth, God’s creation, and also the great hope of the inside, the hope of the heavenly realm, where we will be reconciled to God. This piece was a result of my own grief and finding peace in the face of fear pertaining to death. When my cat Conan died after 13 years, I grieved, and it unleashed the grief from losing my grandmother Nina. So, in the heavenly realm representation, I painted a chair like one she used to own, with Conan sitting in the arms of the God-like figure in this narrative.
To end the piece, on the back through the window panes it reads “by the blood of Jesus,” for as Hebrews 10:19 says, “we have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus.” Here on this earth and after death we are not separated from the creator who loves us.
