THE LAST SUPPER PROJECT STATEMENT

This series is a meditation on our lack of awareness and
misunderstanding of received spiritual wisdom. Whether through
the Christian, Jewish, or Muslim scriptures it is given that today
we understand little of the message, just as those hearing it for
the first time understood little.

Drawing upon Leonardo Da Vinci's painting of the Last Supper
as a template, I create five separate images to be viewed in
sequence or individually. Each image is the result of in-camera
triple exposure portraying the disciples as they receive the
message from Jesus that one of them will betray him.

Theologians and ministers discuss the idea that the disciples did
not know who Jesus was or what his message meant, and suggest
inour current age that we still do not know. Through numerous
iterations of this template,I will portray the disciples as being
asleep, disinterred, or distracted. Just as we are asleep,
disinterested and distracted from hearing, understandingand
accepting any received spiritual message.

My goal, through numerous iterations of Da Vinci's template,
is to examine how we read an iconic text when the narrative
is changed. The original narrative dealt with a story of love
and betrayal and is portrayed through the responses of twelve
followers paying close attention to the words of the speaker.
Through this series I change the narrative dynamic from the
twelve responding to the speaker's powerful words warning of
betrayal,to the speaker responding to the twelve's inability
to hear the message or their inattention to the message they've
heard.