Christ is in prison, 2020.

Christ is in prison, 2020

"Jesus said, Father! forgive them, for they do not know what they do. And they shared his clothes, throwing lots." (Lk. 23:24)

Last year I visited Solovki.

Even though I knew about unfair repression since childhood, this is where I saw the history of our country as a constant struggle of evil with good. In the Solovetsk monastery, almost fully restored, with a golden iconostasis, I walked on stones, only - only-washed tens of thousands of innocent convicted, and devoted death of fellow citizens, and thought, and what memory would they think?

In different eras on the walls of temples depicted emperors as intercessors and defenders of the church, warriors, with scenes from their lives, and so on. I wanted to imagine what images could be appropriate on Solovka, after everything that was here. At the end of the journey, the harder question arises: which type of traditional iconography of the Savior could be considered the most relevant for our time? How to write such an image?

I'm back, but the question remains. - Who is He for our time? What is He for us after millions of deaths in totalitarian regimes? For us, now and today, who are in peace with justice, condemnation and torture of innocent in front of our eyes?

It was absolutely unclear what this image should be. It was only clear that he had to grow out of tradition, and should not be thoughtful. It was important for me to create an image that would address the person of my time and my country.

It turned out that you should have looked for in the past: the image of Christ in the prison, especially common in Russia in the 17th century. One of his most vivid examples in the Spasso-Transfigurazhensky Cathedral of the Novospassky Monastery in Moscow. There was a dungeon, with a tiny window with an iron grille, and a carved image of Christ sitting.

The sculptures of Christ traditionally placed in small wooden "dunks" with bars, and the sculpture in the Vologda Museum-reserve is even chained to the pole of a cathorny padlock. Such iconography is not only in sculpture. There are also icons where He is not a formidable judge, but a defenseless, compassionate and grieving person. I think this is perhaps the most dramatic image of Christ in art. " He has already been condemned, he is sitting in prison before the way of sorrow on Calvary, Roman soldiers will come to a minute and lead to crucifixion.

In my work, I wanted to combine the three-dimensional sculpture with the condition of the iconoscript, so I added a massive frame with a grille as part of the prison wall. For the icon board and frame, salted and rolled boards were taken by the sea, and I used real metal fittings for the grid.

This is exactly the image that I thought was consonant to the feelings that become our reality - not only on Solovki, but for everyone personally. The feeling of the daily abruption of justice and constant imposition of physical inliberty, external and internal - which we have recently seen in the state and in a church, which we are increasingly infected by ourselves.

Iconographer Philip Davydov.
https://www.facebook.com/phildavydov

The work was published by the artist in support of Yuri Dmitriev, size: 40*28*12 cm, St. Petersburg, June-July 2020.

[translation from Russian to English by Facebook]