Rejected

Rejection is hard – really hard – for artists. In one of his many attempts to help his own parish church, Bolton took on the job of designing a new daily mass chapel. As always his first thought was “How inexpensively can we do this?” 

This crucifix was designed, then, for this daily chapel and he made up the framed panel himself. The design is of course based on many early Italian crosses – particularly those of the “Master of the Blue Crosses”. Here, though, he stretches the standard form to include Adam and Eve and the Tree. Note how he places Mary and the Beloved Disciple together to one side and scatters the moon and sun to create interest and what he called “incident”. 

The whole project was nearly compete when a new pastor decided he knew better (they teach them that in seminary) and asked for the project to be completely re-done. In fact he asked me to make all new pieces for the chapel. I refused. Bolton was crushed as his love-offering, which is what it was, had again been turned aside as unworthy. Unworthy in the mind of that particular priest meant not expensive enough.

Tags: crosses, painting