“In Your Mercy”

This piece is a little jarring when you first look at it; images of the biblically accurate angel come to mind, with their many hands and eyes. This is the most impactful aspect of this piece at first glance, but a closer look shows that there are five layers to the piece that add structure and order. There are three layers of images of hands collaged together interspersed with rows of eyes. The artist wove these layers together to emulate the structure of the outermost layer of human skin - the epidermis. With this information, we can get a better sense of this piece and see how it exemplifies the beauty of life as humans created in our Creator’s image. 

As with the 5 layers of the epidermis, the lowest layer is the youngest, and the oldest being at the top of the piece. This is exhibited clearly in the hands collaged throughout the piece, with the ones at the bottom of the piece being round and pudgy; clearly babies. Looking up the piece, we can see that the hands and eyes age the farther up they are on the piece, with the lined hands at the top showing the wisdom gained by many years on this earth. The collage of eyes also points to this woven thread of humanity through the emphasis on the many different sizes, shapes, and colors. They boldly stare out at the viewer, pointing to the many different people and ethnicities that make up the body of Christ. As with the hands, the eyes age as they travel up the piece. This aspect of the piece is a pointed and powerful testament to human life.

The fact that this piece is a tapestry element is highlighted by the placement on the south window of the sanctuary. When the midday light shines through it, each eye and hand glows in a holy light, reminding us of cathedrals of old and their design to transport churchgoers to an ethereal state of worship and revelry. This piece is so powerful because it weaves together human diversity and dignity to show how we are united and unique in Christ.