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Text originally created for Emblems of Identity at Te Papa, March 2013 - March 2015.
Most of my work has been aimed at relating man to man, and man to his world, to the acceptance of the very beautiful and terrible mysteries that we are part of.
Colin McCahon, 1971
The power of this painting lies in the way it portrays Jesus’ suffering on the cross with dark, stark simplicity.
Throughout his life, Colin McCahon strove to reconcile his Christian beliefs with his art practice. He rebelled against the dogmatic teachings of organised religion, but through his painting sought to infuse the New Zealand landscape with a sense of spirituality and humanity.
Text originally created for Michael Parekowhai, Colin McCahon, Jim Allen exhibition at Te Papa, August - September 2012.
Colin McCahon’s early religious paintings can be seen as a personal response to World War II. For him as a pacifist, the Crucifixion was not just an historical event but a symbol of the human capacity for destruction.
McCahon painted eight Crucifixions between 1947 and 1952. This is the last – the most naturalistic, but also perhaps the most poignant, focusing all attention on Christ’s isolation and suffering. The curve of his arms is echoed in the forms of the landscape, which seem to support his body.
After 1952, McCahon's work became increasingly abstract. He never painted a Crucifixion again, but the stories of the Bible remained central to his art.