St. Vincent

Icons were developed in the Eastern Orthodox Church as aids to prayer—the petitioner prays “through” the icon to God. Icons are regulated by very specific rules regarding depiction, stylization, and display.

I decided to use this ancient form, bending the strict rules, to pay homage to Vincent Van Gogh, a painter whose life and work continue to inspire many artists. He is surrounded by “attributes” of his life and art: the wooden clogs he wore while pastoring poor potato farmers in Holland; his ear, cut off to prove his love for a prostitute; his supportive brother Theo; his painting Starry Night; the sunflower featured in many of his paintings done in the South of France; and the Saint-Paul asylum where Vincent spent his final days. God’s hand descends from the top of the composition to bless the artist while he is painting in his studio.