Behold

Technique & Style

Nonrepresentational, Print

Symbols

temple

Notes

Artist statement: "This screen printed poster is inspired by the design aesthetic of the Bauhaus school, an influential design school in Germany that operated from 1919 until with war in 1933. Bauhaus design was characterized by functional hierarchy, simple and utilitarian typography, excellent use of white space and the grid, and precise photography. In many ways, their design philosophy was heavily influenced by the futurist and constructivist movements. Like futurism, the school was inspired by a bright and glorious future, and like constructivism, they were interested in the use of bold colors and diagonals to create intense drama in their compositions. Like many modernist movements, the Bauhaus was interested in adhering to a unified standard that approached perfection. It was these three characteristics that inspired me to represent the seminal event of the Nephite record, an event which was highly dramatic, featured the only perfect person, and was long-anticipated as a future glorious moment—the resurrected Christ’s visit to the Americas. As I learned more about the aesthetic, I found myself wondering, "What if there were a poster to advertise the coming of Jesus Christ? What would that look like? What emotions would it need to convey?" As I studied and pondered the verses in 3 Nephi 11, I fixated on the first word spoken by the Lord as he descended from heaven: "behold." What a powerful exhortation, especially given the majestic nature of his arrival. He was inviting the people to see him, and know that he was, in reality, the Savior of the world, the one who died for them and rose again, the one of whom prophets testified for generations. He was right there in the flesh. This was the moment of moments, especially in the lives of those present. The mere thought of what that experience would be like, to behold the Son of God coming down to minister to men and women and children, felt so overwhelmingly significant to me, that I set that opening word "behold" in the largest text as the focal point of the piece. The text is in German (because the Bauhaus was in Germany), and so the word appears as it is translated in the German Book of Mormon, "siehe." I made a handful of other symbolic design choices in the piece. I placed the figure of Christ in the center of the word "siehe" because he is, of course, the one the people are invited to behold. His robes are masked out completely in white to represent his purity and perfection. The three thin lines extending the length of the artwork simultaneously represent the three times the Father's voice was heard introducing the Son, and the three members of the Godhead. Every spoken word from the text is set in red (excluding "ich bin Jesus Christus" which is highlighted for emphasis). I'm very pleased with how the piece turned out, and a copy of it hangs in my bedroom right above my bed as a reminder for me to "behold" the Savior and to remember his role and how that applies to my daily life. Credit to Walter Rane, a portion of whose painting, "They Saw the Son of Man Descending," was used in this work."

Commissioned Status

Submitted to the 2024 BYU Book of Mormon Art Contest.

Church Affiliation of the Artist

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints