Epiphany is composed of over 100 crosses, which are always installed on a “sanctified” red wall. Jan Wade considers this work as her first “transformation” piece. That is, Epiphany is never installed the same way: the artist reconfigures the work with each presentation, adding new crosses and changing older pieces. She uses the cross in her practice to represent the “ultimate pop icon,” noting that the form, for her, is incidentally Christian. Wade interprets the form as stretching beyond belief systems and the ages, transforming in meaning and symbolism throughout history, just as her own artwork changes with each presentation. In Epiphany, Wade reclaims and reinvents the cross as a symbol of cultural survival.
Jan Wade: Soul Power
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Jan Wade, Epiphany, 1990–2021
Wood, acrylic paint, found objects, variable dimensions, Courtesy of Jan Wade. Photo credit: Ian Lefebvre, Vancouver Art Gallery.