The Prodigal Son Series

My body of work is centered on the concept of  “Origins.”  I was inspired by Flemish Vanitas paintings of the 16th and 17th centuries because of their emphasis on vanity and ephemeral qualities of life. I have used the vanitas style to illustrate the Biblical story of the prodigal son. In my drawings, I have attempted to capture the perspective and motives of both the prodigal son and his father. The prodigal son and his father’s thoughts and inner desires were the origins of their actions. I rendered my drawings with white and black charcoal on gray paper because charcoal is one of the oldest original art mediums.

My first two drawings, “Inquisitiveness” and “Volatility” show the prodigal son’s tendencies to fantasize of a life of luxury and sin. My drawing entitled “Volatility” is abstractly rendered. By piecing together different viewpoints of the still life, the viewer sees an image that is skewed. This abstraction represents the mindset of the prodigal son that caused him to be fooled into thinking a life of sin would be satisfying. The drawing entitled “Opposition” shows the effects of the lifestyle of sin - emptiness, uncleanliness, and brokenness. 

The drawing entitled “Fragmentation” is abstractly rendered fabric. The tattered fabric represents the son’s realization of his own state of brokenness. This realization was the origin of the son’s desire to go home. Before the son came home, the father’s heart was already set toward forgiveness and restoration. This idea is represented through the drawing “Hope,” which portrays the father sitting by a table that is set for two people. The final drawing is “Restoration.” It depicts the father’s choice to honor his son, even though he did nothing to deserve it. The compassion and love of the Father reached out to the son, restored him, and celebrated his homecoming. The origin of restoration and honor was the father’s mindset, not the son’s actions. The son did nothing to deserve the honor and love of the Father, yet the Father bestowed great honor and love upon him.      

In conclusion, the prodigal son is not depicted in any of these drawings so that the viewer may be inspired to imagine the identity of the prodigal son and see how this story relates to his or her own life.