Je suis

2010

toughened blue glass, enamel
1335mmH x 198mmW x 6mmD

Series: Glazed I’s, The Allegory

A recombination of the letters 'I Jesus', Je suis extracts key elements from religious painting to develop a minimalist abstraction, building the traditional tripartite of Father, Son and Virgin Mary through symbol, colour, form and text.

French for 'I am', Je suis omits the word 'Am' from the definitive text: 'I Am', used to denote an omniscient God in biblical and art texts. Hung at body height, a slim opaque 'I' emerges out of the blue, looking out and taking in viewer and surroundings. A reference to the Virgin Mary's robe, the cool blue surface seals the transcending 'I' in an omnipresent film.