Tuesday, June 2, 2009

Bloodwheel






[T]he blood of the martyrs is the seed of the Church.


Tertullian, Apologeticus, Chapter 50

The martyrdoms of Saints Catherine and Erasmus (Elmo) involved wheels: Catherine was tortured on a spiked wheel, while Erasmus was killed when his entrails were wrapped around a ship's windlass. This piece is a meditation on Tertullian's quote; the instruments of torture become a waterwheel. Palm branches are traditional symbols for martyrs.


No comments:

Post a Comment