troiţa
I began this project three months ago to fulfill my dream of offering thanks and continued devotion to God for the many blessings I have received. Many would be surprised to learn that I plan to install this troiţă outside on my home grounds, rather than donate it to a Romanian church. I have made this decision as a result of the intimate spiritual dialogue in which I have participated throughout the creation of this work.
Background of the project:
My troiţă is a mixed work of sculpture, woodburning and painting. Many of the materials are circumstantial or found, that is, materials that were available to me at the time. The central cross and circular back are pine board, while the tips are part of Italian lumber used for crating machinery. The left and right tips bear the central motif of grapevines, which are carved in low relief. The leaves and icons of Madonna and Child, and Christ are painted in acrylic with gold leaf.
The circular backboard is divided into quadrants and contains weeping angels in the top hemisphere, with the weeping Mother of Christ and St. John in the lower hemisphere with grapevines and grapes originating from the wounds of the crucified Christ. The bottom tip continues the motif, while the top tip bears an icon of the Holy Trinity. Traditional byzantine iconography favors abstract representations of the Trinity, and so this was cause for great concern on my part. Initially I had painted a dove to represent the Holy Spirit, beneath which I rendered The Son and The Father as the human image reflected in man. I reconsidered my choice and veiled the original painting, over which I had planned a more abstract depiction of the Holy Trinity. Since the creation of this troiţă is indeed an intimate dialogue, I resolved to follow my spiritual instincts, and depict the Holy Trinity as I had originally conceived. The original icon, since veiled will remain, however, I am painting a new icon on a separate tip which I will fasten to the top tip. The design is slightly modified with a larger dove whose outstretched wings embrace the image of Jesus the Son and God the Father, in acrylic and gold leaf.
The outer frame was built by my dear friend Tom Yagiela who became interested in my project from its beginning. The inside of the frame is adorned with wood carvings, while two vertical boards on the far left and right have been installed for the names of the living and the dead of family and friends. Each name will be inscribed on a wooden faceplate, and candle holders will be added for special prayers and remembrances. I anticipate applying a dozen coats of marine varnish to protect the troiţă once it is dedicated in its place outdoors. Below is a detail of the centerpiece.
The figures and content have not been outlined yet, hence the contrast is weak. The carved fill beneath the cross-member will be sanded, stained and sealed. Wooden spokes number twelve in each quadrant to signify the Apostles. Below is a detail of the sides of the frame.
Detail of low relief on left. Below are the panels for names.
I plan to finish the troiţă by the end of the year. I will be posting my progress. In the meantime, I want to thank my children, Benjamin, Daniel, and Cristina, and everyone who has encouraged me in this project. Special thanks to Tom and also to Vasile Vincent for valuable spiritual/sculptural advice.
On April 15 I set my troiţă outside. This is how she looks after additional woodwork and several coats of spar varnish. An outer shell is in progress that will allow for some protection from the elements, while leaving the troiţă as free an unencumbered as the deep prayer and reflection and dialogue that I have invested in her.
Here is the troiţă outside. I have begun a shell around
it to protect it from rain, and added a brick path. The
pomelnic is on the left, and lists the names of the dead,
while on the right, the names of the living. Candles burn
regularly for both.