wayvy weekly////[what is The Church?]
The Church is the cornerstone of modern society. I understand that many of you may recoil from that reality, but hear me out. Before concerts, there was choral worship. Before banks, there were the church's reserves. Before companies, there was the congregation. Before corruption, there was collaboration. Once humanity stepped into it's higher purpose and realized that there was more to life than this simple physical plane, it erected the church. Many call it different things, so please forgive my Anglo Saxon Roman Catholic upbringing, but when I say The Church I refer to people assembling not only for a common purpose but one that is bigger than even the collective. A common pursuit that not only unites, defines but guides our thoughts and our actions. When one is only guided by pleasure, pain, gluttony or gain, life begins to ring hollow. I am not saying that pursuing physical pleasure is not necessary, but it is paramount to remember it is a means to an end. We are all sent here with an ikigai, a joie de vivre and an indomitable human spirit that can sometimes be obscured if we are not vigilant in guarding it with every fiber of our being. The meaning and manifestations of The Church have changed over the eons that our societies have thrived. Their powers wax and wane, influence ebbs and flows. It is also, unfortunately, not immune to bad faith actors. Nonetheless, the human need to worship remains steadfast in the heart. The need to seek fellowship. To have close community that not only loves and supports you but believes in you. To look up to someone who you admire and emulate their steps. Not only do we need each other, we need to acknowledge and accept the metaphysical reasons we need each other. The ones that go beyond food and shelter and belonging, which are important in their own right don’t get me wrong, but they pale in comparison to the random chance encounters with people who go on to become lifelong friends, partners, lovers, relatives, who’s mere existence leaves you feeling like life is worth living again. That is The Church.
Here we have the wayvywork of the week, THE FIRST SUPPER, from wayvydon’s project 150 collection, on view here. I mostly feel like the piece speaks for itself, but I would like to comment on the almost childlike quality of the illustration. It feels like a bolt of lightning in a way, as if you were present at this fabled banquet but only had thirty seconds to convey not only what you saw, but how that vision made you feel. All unnecessary details are completely omitted, any irrelevant frequencies or colours ignored. The table is sloppily coloured in halfway because the table doesn’t matter all that much. The faces, clothes and details of the people at the table are sparse, only granting the viewer enough for them to be able to tell what and who they are looking at. Nothing more. This deliberate simplicity and efficiency speaks to the capitalist ideology but in a very subversive way. In direct opposition to the piece it is clearly referencing, which was adorned and garnished with beautiful subtle details that you could get lost in admiring. Here, what you see is what you get. Maybe this is how the journey to The Last Supper began. Like a Christian fan fiction or something idk. The figures are depicted as confrontational but polite and relaxed, seemingly more interested in listening than talking as the two figures flanking the central one both assume positions that reflect calm or attentiveness, as one may look when engaged in deep substantial conversation. For all these reasons and many more I love this piece and chose it to highlight this week. What do you guys think? Agree? Disagree? Let me know down in the comments below PLEASE. And as always, stay wayvy baby <3.
