Reviews

No mean feet

Dr Angela McCarthy reflects on a favourite work from the Mandorla Art Award collection.

Michael Kane Taylor’s Pedilavium is one of my favourite images from the Mandorla Art Award collection of contemporary Christian art.

Michael has combined an understanding of Matthew’s text, “Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me,” with an image from John’s gospel where Jesus washes the feet of his disciples (John 13:1-16).

What makes it interesting are the feet the artist has chosen to depict in the image. There is a variety of feet in terms of age, health condition, ethnic origin, colour and size.

We don’t usually have our feet touched by other people unless it is for therapeutic reasons and to have them washed on Holy Thursday, following the reading of this incident in John’s gospel, is a humbling experience for both the priest and the people who participate in the action.

It brings clearly to mind, in a powerful way, that what we do for the least in our community we do for Jesus himself.

This artwork arrests the eye with its vibrant colour. Red is the colour of divine love, the love that God expressed to us by becoming human, flesh and blood.

The feet mostly have photographic clarity but a few remain part of the printed sections of the work and lead us to reflect that some things are really clear, but other aspects of our care for the least of them is still unclear. This helps us understand that there is still work to be done in God’s kingdom!

Michael has used striped fabric and a bowl that looks Middle Eastern in colour and style; this gives an historical anchor to the action but a timeless view as well because such bowls and fabrics still are used today.

There is a beautiful rhythm in the shapes of the feet that draws our eye around the artwork, and this combination of printmaking and digital images offers a contrast that draws the viewer in to considering the link between what is clear about our discipleship and what is yet to become clear for us.

Dr Angela McCarthy currently lectures in theology in the School of Philosophy and Theology, University of Notre Dame Australia, is president of the Australian Academy of Liturgy and chairwoman of the Mandorla Art Award.

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