Photographic Construction
36 x 24 x 3 inches
1994

According to legend, Lucy, a third century saint, plucked out her eyes to avoid being recognized by a Roman nobleman who was in pursuing her, planning to rape her. She was thus martyred, preserving her virginity for Christ. A variant legend suggests a suitor who was so smitten by Lucy's beautiful eyes, caused her to tear them out. Fearing for his emotional well-being, she had them sent to him. He was so overcome with remorse and impressed by Lucy's faith, he too, became a Christian.

"That many of the Christian saints are disfigured, mutilated or raped to attain their martyrdom amazes me. The romantic idea of suffering extensive physical, mental and self-inflicted pain for 'love' is also appalling. Several films employing this central theme come to mind: Betty Blue, The Story of Adele H. My shrine for St. Lucy represents the sickness, disease, obsession and decay particular to unrequited love."

"The central image is based on a 15th century trompe l'oeil painting by Carlo Crivelli. In place of his Madonna and Child is a self-portrait as St. Lucy, depicted during the act of self mutilation. In this portrait, I wield a letter opener, my finger transformed into a bound hummingbird, a Mexican love charm. A crumpled letter rests before me as well as a watchful fly, a memento mori. Above my head are two boughs of rotted fruit, an orange and apple, a phallic pickle and insect eaten leaves - offerings of love gone bad. In the background are views of Seattle and San Francisco, night and day; the subject is in transition. Below the actual shelf, the trompe l'oeil transforms into the 'real'; the blood drips from my eyes into the space of the viewer and onto the frame's edge. This construction employs the three-dimensional style of the garish shrine boxes of saints one can purchase from Mexico. On either side of the portrait, compartments containing branches with eyeballs suggest the paranoia of the subject and reference the Eastern Orthodox depiction of St. Lucy. Below the portrait hangs a torn drape partially covering old jars containing pickles, preserved toads, molding peaches and rotting salmon eggs."

Source: George Ferguson, "Signs and Symbols in Christian Art," Oxford University Press, 1954, pp. 130-131.

L.A. Art Fair, Los Angeles, CA, December 1994
Artspace Trinity, The Dead and the Divine, San Francisco, November 1994
OPTS, The Garden of Delights, San Francisco, June 1994
Morphos Gallery (Annex), Photographic Constructions, San Francisco, February 1994
Photo Metro's 11th Annual Contest, San Francisco, Ca, November 1993
San Francisco Camerawork, Beyond Belief, July 1991

Photo Metro's 11th Annual Contest, Honorable Mention, Cash Award, November 1993

Wig (Women In General) Magazine, "The Laundry Cafe," Vol.1 Issue 3, 1996
Art Alternatives, "Transformation & Decay: Kim Stringfellow's Sensual Shrines," Summer 1995
Filth Magazine, "The Theology of Kim Stringfellow," by Joe Donohoe, Issue#13, May 1994
Photo Metro, "1993 Contest Issue," November 1993

Owned by Lewis and Misty Gruver Chicago, Illinois

Image and text copyright Kim Stringfellow.
Any use or reproduction without the artist's consent is expressly forbidden.