Liz Lemon Swindle puts unique twist on biblical narratives
"The Lost Sheep (Modern)" by Liz Lemon Swindle. 2011.
"The Lost Sheep," by Liz Lemon Swindle, 2010.
"The Good Samaritan," by Liz Lemon Swindle.
"The Good Samaritan (Modern)" by Liz Lemon Swindle.
The Springville Museum of Art introduces the “Parables” exhibit by Orem artist Liz Lemon Swindle, a unique project bringing biblical narratives into the modern era.
The classic-realist painter depicts the moral lessons in a paired-painting series that shows the scriptural story on one canvas and then translates that same parable to a modern-day setting on another canvas.
“Almost accidentally, I realized that everything I had been painting up until that point had been mostly the events of the Savior’s life,” Swindle said. “But what occurred to me is that I hadn’t painted his teachings.”
Swindle spent more than eight years on her “Son of Man” collection, which depicts several events during Jesus Christ’s Earthly life such as the healing of the blind man and the calming of the sea with his disciples.
With her “Parables” series, Swindle said it better satisfied the true intention of her original “Son of Man” concept — bringing the Savior to the world through art.
She said though painting events in Christ’s life was meaningful, that concept had already been done by other artists. The classically trained painter then began depicting the traditional biblical parables and teachings of Christ according to scriptural references.
In her research, Swindle found more than 30 parables that were specifically identified by Christ and his apostles. After releasing several biblical narrative paintings showing certain parables, Swindle observed a general response of indifference by many viewers.
“It became very clear to me that it needed to be put in a context that we could relate to,” she said.
Swindle decided to create smaller paired paintings of both the biblical account of a parable and then a modern-day version of the same parable.
In Swindle’s “The Lost Sheep” piece, the viewer sees someone holding a young lamb, and it is assumed Christ is the shepherd cradling the innocent animal. Swindle’s modern-day version shows a similar pose and framing but replaces the lamb with a frightened young woman dressed in Gothic apparel clutching what the viewer could presume is Christ.
A parable is a simple story that uses the objects of one’s environment to tell a spiritual message or moral lesson. The Orem artist has completed about one-third of the series so far, and a book will later be put together featuring each paired-painting.
Springville museum exhibit curator Emily Larsen features 22 pieces by Swindle, and also included two sculptures from its permanent collection: “Footprints” by Adam Reeder and “The Christ ‘Jesus of Nazareth’ ” by Gary Lee Price.
“Whether it’s through art or whatever you do that’s your forte, you have an amazing capacity and power to teach with what you’re blessed to teach with,” Swindle said. “And I think we miss the mark if all we choose to do with that power is just teach superficial things.
“But if we choose to teach eternal things, I think that we have just an amazing ability to touch people’s hearts and really make a difference in how people will conduct their lives.”
PARABLES
What: Biblical and modern interpretations by Orem artist Liz Lemon Swindle.
Where: Springville Museum of Art, 126 E. 400 South, Springville
When: Through Jan. 3.
Tickets: Free
Info: (801) 489-2727, smofa.org
More: foundationarts.com