title page
text, bottom to top: 2016—China/Marks—But what really happened?—Ask Mary!
p. 1
text, left to right: My poor son! / No one knows the real story! - And it’s not over yet.
p. 2
text, top, left to right: Don’t be silly! - First of all it was a collective decision.
text midway, left to right: Might be better to blow it up / and start all over again - I’ll volunteer my son! - Well, in that case...
p. 3
text left, bottom to top: Didn’t we kill all the elephants? - He’s not an elephant. / That’s a mask / for breathing under water. / But you’ll kill him anyway.
text top center: (Fished from the River of Time)
text right midway: Wake up big guy, / time to play god!
text right bottom: And it wasn’t an immaculate conception, / but it did the trick, so who cares?
p. 4
text top center: Once poeple found out / that hes touch could heal, / they never left him alone.
text left to right: Heal me, Lord! - I was blind but now I see!
text bottom left: He blocked an attack with one glance. / The authorities hushed it up.
p. 5
text top, left to right: Bring the cross! - I don’t think that he realized / they weren’t going to let him go /
until they nailed him to the cross.
text below left: Washed in the blood of the Lamb!
text below right: And except for family and a few followers / no one cared. What a hard death!
In the summer of 2016 China made an accordion-style book from five identical small tapestry copies of Bellini’s Piéta. She called the book Ask Mary!, because it’s her story: Jesus doesn’t say a word.
title page
text, bottom to top: 2016—China/Marks—But what really happened?—Ask Mary!
p. 1
text, left to right: My poor son! / No one knows the real story! - And it’s not over yet.
p. 2
text, top, left to right: Don’t be silly! - First of all it was a collective decision.
text midway, left to right: Might be better to blow it up / and start all over again - I’ll volunteer my son! - Well, in that case...
p. 3
text left, bottom to top: Didn’t we kill all the elephants? - He’s not an elephant. / That’s a mask / for breathing under water. / But you’ll kill him anyway.
text top center: (Fished from the River of Time)
text right midway: Wake up big guy, / time to play god!
text right bottom: And it wasn’t an immaculate conception, / but it did the trick, so who cares?
p. 4
text top center: Once poeple found out / that hes touch could heal, / they never left him alone.
text left to right: Heal me, Lord! - I was blind but now I see!
text bottom left: He blocked an attack with one glance. / The authorities hushed it up.
p. 5
text top, left to right: Bring the cross! - I don’t think that he realized / they weren’t going to let him go /
until they nailed him to the cross.
text below left: Washed in the blood of the Lamb!
text below right: And except for family and a few followers / no one cared. What a hard death!
Ask Mary!, 2016
138 x 23.5 inches fully extended.
Fabric, thread, lace, plastic goggle-eyes, Jade glue, sequins, bakelite washers, horsehair, buttons, screen-printing ink, fusible adhesive, book board, on a contemporary tapestry copy of Bellini’s Pieta.
View an image of Pieta, or read more about this work and Giovanni Bellini here.
