Behold The Dreamer
Behold The Dreamer by John M. Robertson
Materials: toner and acrylic on plywood, acrylic sheet, typeset, LED lighting
Dimensions: 96”x16”
Date Created: 2011
Description:
This piece was inspired by the sermon given on June 27, 2010 entitled “The Process of Forgiveness” by Pastor Gregg Matte at Houston's First Baptist Church. Like the sermon, it is based on the story of Joseph in the book of Genesis. The title is taken from the words of Joseph’s brothers as they lay in wait to abduct him.
Joseph was the youngest of twelve brothers, the favorite of his father and hated by his siblings. Their hatred culminated in kidnapping and selling Joseph into slavery. However, God was with him. From prison, God raised him up as ruler of Egypt, second only to Pharaoh. From this position, Joseph was reunited with his family and became their salvation during a time of famine.
Joseph developed an entirely new life in Egypt, complete with a new family. Thirty nine years “full of days” separated the betrayal and reconciliation. Each day is represented by a hash mark branded into the plywood (less a day for each Sabbath). In total, there are 14,244 days in 39 years by the modern calendar. Plywood was chosen as the base to represent the 7 stages of Joseph’s life in the seven layers of plywood.
With each passing day, God’s silent and unseen plan drew ever closer to fulfillment (Genesis 45:7). The image in toner on the plywood captures the moment in Genesis chapter 45 when Joseph reveals himself to his brothers who have come to Egypt begging for food. The image is from an engraving by Gustave Dore and was first published as an illustration in a 1866 Bible. From this moment, the process of reconciliation begins.
Not only did God reconcile Joesph to his family, but through Joseph, saved them and the future nation of Israel. Joseph and his brothers are the fathers of the 12 tribes of Israel. In this sense, God was making Joseph an ark of salvation, like Noah, to his people. This is illustrated by the placement of a blue dove above the head of Joseph. The image of the dove is taken from the same Bible mentioned above, from the engraving of Noah sending out a dove from the ark in search of land (Genesis 8:7). The other reference to the the ark is contained in the dimensions of the piece. The width and height of the piece are in the same ratio (1:6) as the length and width of Noah’s ark (Genesis 6:15).
The LED lighting that illuminates the scripture (Genesis 37:19-28) is turned on by touching the metal fasteners that hold the acrylic sheet in place:
And they said one to another, Behold, this dreamer cometh. Come now therefore, and let us slay him, and cast him into some pit, and we will say, Some evil beast hath devoured him: and we shall see what will become of his dreams. And Reuben heard it, and he delivered him out of their hands; and said, Let us not kill him. And Reuben said unto them, Shed no blood, but cast him into this pit that is in the wilderness, and lay no hand upon him; that he might rid him out of their hands, to deliver him to his father again. And it came to pass, when Joseph was come unto his brethren, that they stript Joseph out of his coat, his coat of many colours that was on him; And they took him, and cast him into a pit: and the pit was empty, there was no water in it. And they sat down to eat bread: and they lifted up their eyes and looked, and, behold, a company of Ishmeelites came from Gilead with their camels bearing spicery and balm and myrrh, going to carry it down to Egypt. And Judah said unto his brethren, What profit is it if we slay our brother, and conceal his blood? Come, and let us sell him to the Ishmeelites, and let not our hand be upon him; for he is our brother and our flesh. And his brethren were content. Then there passed by Midianites merchantmen; and they drew and lifted up Joseph out of the pit, and sold Joseph to the Ishmeelites for twenty pieces of silver: and they brought Joseph into Egypt.
The scripture is red and the dove is blue. These colors were chosen to represent the past of the betrayal and the future hope of the reconciliation at the moment of the reunion. The colors refer to the red and blue shift of light of galaxies as they move away from a towards earth.
The illuminated letter “B” was created from an image of a cistern.
This piece was created for the 2011 Holy Week Art Show Echos at Houston First Baptist Church in Houston, Texas. Finalist - 2011 Gambol for Visual Art by The Art League Houston (Houston, Texas) - December 2 - 30, 2011.
Dimensions: 96”x16”
Date Created: 2011
Description:
This piece was inspired by the sermon given on June 27, 2010 entitled “The Process of Forgiveness” by Pastor Gregg Matte at Houston's First Baptist Church. Like the sermon, it is based on the story of Joseph in the book of Genesis. The title is taken from the words of Joseph’s brothers as they lay in wait to abduct him.
Joseph was the youngest of twelve brothers, the favorite of his father and hated by his siblings. Their hatred culminated in kidnapping and selling Joseph into slavery. However, God was with him. From prison, God raised him up as ruler of Egypt, second only to Pharaoh. From this position, Joseph was reunited with his family and became their salvation during a time of famine.
Joseph developed an entirely new life in Egypt, complete with a new family. Thirty nine years “full of days” separated the betrayal and reconciliation. Each day is represented by a hash mark branded into the plywood (less a day for each Sabbath). In total, there are 14,244 days in 39 years by the modern calendar. Plywood was chosen as the base to represent the 7 stages of Joseph’s life in the seven layers of plywood.
With each passing day, God’s silent and unseen plan drew ever closer to fulfillment (Genesis 45:7). The image in toner on the plywood captures the moment in Genesis chapter 45 when Joseph reveals himself to his brothers who have come to Egypt begging for food. The image is from an engraving by Gustave Dore and was first published as an illustration in a 1866 Bible. From this moment, the process of reconciliation begins.
Not only did God reconcile Joesph to his family, but through Joseph, saved them and the future nation of Israel. Joseph and his brothers are the fathers of the 12 tribes of Israel. In this sense, God was making Joseph an ark of salvation, like Noah, to his people. This is illustrated by the placement of a blue dove above the head of Joseph. The image of the dove is taken from the same Bible mentioned above, from the engraving of Noah sending out a dove from the ark in search of land (Genesis 8:7). The other reference to the the ark is contained in the dimensions of the piece. The width and height of the piece are in the same ratio (1:6) as the length and width of Noah’s ark (Genesis 6:15).
The LED lighting that illuminates the scripture (Genesis 37:19-28) is turned on by touching the metal fasteners that hold the acrylic sheet in place:
And they said one to another, Behold, this dreamer cometh. Come now therefore, and let us slay him, and cast him into some pit, and we will say, Some evil beast hath devoured him: and we shall see what will become of his dreams. And Reuben heard it, and he delivered him out of their hands; and said, Let us not kill him. And Reuben said unto them, Shed no blood, but cast him into this pit that is in the wilderness, and lay no hand upon him; that he might rid him out of their hands, to deliver him to his father again. And it came to pass, when Joseph was come unto his brethren, that they stript Joseph out of his coat, his coat of many colours that was on him; And they took him, and cast him into a pit: and the pit was empty, there was no water in it. And they sat down to eat bread: and they lifted up their eyes and looked, and, behold, a company of Ishmeelites came from Gilead with their camels bearing spicery and balm and myrrh, going to carry it down to Egypt. And Judah said unto his brethren, What profit is it if we slay our brother, and conceal his blood? Come, and let us sell him to the Ishmeelites, and let not our hand be upon him; for he is our brother and our flesh. And his brethren were content. Then there passed by Midianites merchantmen; and they drew and lifted up Joseph out of the pit, and sold Joseph to the Ishmeelites for twenty pieces of silver: and they brought Joseph into Egypt.
The scripture is red and the dove is blue. These colors were chosen to represent the past of the betrayal and the future hope of the reconciliation at the moment of the reunion. The colors refer to the red and blue shift of light of galaxies as they move away from a towards earth.
The illuminated letter “B” was created from an image of a cistern.
This piece was created for the 2011 Holy Week Art Show Echos at Houston First Baptist Church in Houston, Texas. Finalist - 2011 Gambol for Visual Art by The Art League Houston (Houston, Texas) - December 2 - 30, 2011.