| Station XII – Jesus Dies On The Cross Artist – Pen Bourdet – Carved and Polychrome Wood I have an affinity for religious art, which comforts me, and have been especially drawn to Spanish Colonial carvings and paintings. I wanted to create Station 12, the crucifixion, because I’ve always wanted to carve a Cristo (Spanish Colonial crucifix) after the rich tradition of the New Mexican Santeros and Santeras (craftspeople who create religious art—usually, carved wooden statues or paintings). These “saintmakers” flourished in Northern New Mexico from about 1790 to 1907. Creating this Cristo has been an incredible emotional and spiritual journey. It was carved from six pieces of Douglas fir and fastened together with dowels and glue. It has eight coats of gesso, then water color, then several coats of varnish. The crown is made of ocotillo thorns from my garden. The design on the cotton canvas loin cloth, tres potencias, symbolizes the three faculties of the soul: memory, understanding, and will. The rainbow colors on the horizontal arms of the cross represent the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered community, and the red, yellow, brown, black, and white at the bottom of th |