A Trip to the Museum of Art

This week we were able to go to the Museum of Art on BYU campus to see the Types and Shadows: Intimations of Divinity exhibit. Due to the short amount of time we had there, I went back on Saturday so I could walk through the whole exhibit at my own pace. It was interesting to see so many images relating to Christ, some in obvious ways, others in more metaphorical ways. On both of my trips to the museum, there were two paintings that stood out to me and I felt a special connection to.
The first of these paintings was Exchange No. 8 by Ron Richmond. We didn’t pause here long enough the first trip for me to really notice it, but when I returned this was the one that really caught my eye. As shown above, it depicts two chairs, one upright, the other fallen, draped in white and red cloths respectively. The symbolism here is simple but I found it profound and very moving. The upright chair, representing Christ, also symbolizes the mercy seat and judgment of Christ draped in a white cloth of purity and perfection. Bowed at His feat is the fallen chair representing us as humans draped in a red cloth of sin and blood. When I look at this painting, I see the atonement of Christ. As humans, we are imperfect and stained by our sins but as we kneel at the feet of our Savior our sins will be washed away as it says in Isaiah 1:18.
The second painting, Man of Sorrows by Christopher Young, amazed me with its picture-like quality. As we discussed this painting during our tour, we were presented with many possible interpretations. The one I saw most clearly was that this was the mortal Christ; while His body is of Godly perfection, he is wearing the simple clothing of a mortal being rather than being clothed in the full robes we often see him wearing in pictures after the resurrection. I see the mortal Christ bearing the weight of a figurative cross symbolizing the task he knows he must complete at the conclusion of his mortal ministry. I see my Savior going forth in service and charity despite the awful fate that death that awaits Him and it is a confirmation to me that he loves us each more than we can fathom. Something I never would have noticed if it hadn’t been pointed out was the position of his left hand on the cross. It looks as if he is playing a stringed instrument such as a violin. It is a very relaxed pose, again showing how He views His task on earth- that it is out of love for each of us.
In addition to these two paintings, there were numerous others that represented wonderfully the life and mission of Christ. It was the kind of exhibit that made you think and make your own connections to the work of art. As I walked through, I felt a love and appreciation for my Savior as well as the artists that took the time to help remind me of the wonderful things He did for me.