Lorna May Wadsworth “A Last Supper” installed at ST Albans cathedral for #BLM
In Paul Beatty’s novel, The sellout, the narrator categorizes blackness in four stages. Stage 4 is called unmitigated blackness. David Hammons, Bjork, Frida Kahlo, Charlie Parker, Maya Deren, Sun Ra, Wu Tang Clan all share this form of blackness. It’s basically not giving a fuck, “like wearing house shoes outside”, according to the narrator.
St Albans Cathedral, the UK’s oldest church shows solidarity with The Black Lives Matter movement by installing a print by Lorna May Wadsworth.
A last supper by Wadsworth is the artist’s interpretation of the 15th century masterpiece, The Last Supper by Leonardo Da Vinci. Wadsworth is a British artist working in East London. She is a White woman questioning the race and appearance of Jesus featuring a Black Jesus in her painting. The original painting by Wadsworth was shot and vandalized while on display in a church in Gloucestershire.
In a statement, St Albans Cathedral said: “We stand with the Black Lives Matter movement to be allies for change, building a strong, just and fair community where the dignity of every human being is honored and celebrated, where black voices are heard, and where black lives matter.”
For centuries White Jesus has been a symbol of power. History provides the proof Christianity has been used to enslave, rape, murder, steal and exploit.
I welcome the portrait and wish White Christians and churches led by White people everywhere can deeply consider the arrogance and violence of white nationalism, talk about race in a meaningful way by confronting the reality of white power and privilege or as the the cathedral said, “look with fresh eyes at something you think you know”.
