Cross

The Cross series began as an extended Lenten meditation decades ago which the artist has returned many times since. The cross in its simplest form—the Greek cross, an equilateral crossroads—acts as a meeting ground between abstract art and the traditions of religious representation. Many of Sayre’s very physical acts of mark-making come into play here. About one piece made with a welding torch on wood, Sayre says, “The burning speaks to the violence of the Easter story of the Crucifixion, of the evil which we humans are all too capable of doing. The burning also speaks, however, of the resurrection, of the faith that beauty can come from destruction, that there is life after death. I am very interested in how violent marks can be both frightening and beautiful at the same time.”

Above: From “Cross” series, 20”X20”, gouged wood panel, 2004