Crucifixion by Rachel Feinstein 2003

A piece of art that drew my eye during our Jewish Museum visit was Crucifixion by Rachel Feinstein. Made in 2003, this was the first piece Feinstein made after witnessing the  September 11 attacks from her apartment window. This piece consists of a child-project-like crucifixion scene made from sheets of plywood and paper like material. Usually, crucifixion sculptures and paintings are intricate and detailed. They depict Jesus’s plight in great detail: from his facial features to the disciples around him. Feinstein went another direction to an almost universal scene. She did not show any faces and instead vaguely sculpted the bodies of the people involved. 

Furthermore, this piece is clearly a mimesis of the original crucifixion. The abstraction of this scene blends the line between reality and fantasy. The original crucifixion and the events that occured after are a mixture of reality and possible fantasy passed down through word of mouth and “historical documents”. It is hard to tell what exactly happened during this event but it certainly happened.

The Crucifixion by Pietro Lorenzett 1340 (an example of a typical Crucifixion artwork)

Feinstein highlights this mystery by not sculpting the faces of the people involved in the scene and only showing a few symbols. Jesus’s crown of thorns is clearly visible and his extremities are both punched through with nails. A light paper material segments over his chest: an imitation of his ribs. These few symbols highlight Jesus’s sacrifice more than any other symbols can, hence why Feinstein could not include his face and still get the message across. This piece shows the pain and betrayal Jesus felt while he died for our sins. The typical crucifixion scene highlights this sacrifice with rich paint and gold auras around Jesus and his disciples. The simplicity of this piece humanizes Jesus but also his sacrifice becomes less of a religious teaching but more a symbol for human action.

This theme is important because most likely Feinstein’s trust in human character had faded in the years this was made. Since this piece was the first she made and showed since 9/11, Feinstein most likely tried to remind her audience of great sacrifice that occurred years ago. There is very little religious aspects in the piece due to the abstraction and the mysterious element. Instead, Feinstein focuses on the meaning the crucifiction: a sacrifice for the failures and sinful nature of humans. The 9/11 attack caused so much suffering and pain, a huge sin committed against innocent American citizens. Feinstein’s crucifixion scene is a reminder to her audience of the importance of compassion