The Stations of The Cross
This MA research project centered on Catholic religious rituals and their relationship to more secular practices. It concluded in the writing of an analytical piece on the Easter celebration of the Stations of the Cross, and the design of the subsequent publication.
As a born and raised Catholic, the root of the project is deeply personal. Hence the nature of the analysis and comparisons made, based on empirical knowledge and experiences. The research is however academically led and rooted in the works of several theologians and designers.
Each Stations has it’s dedicated spread. Each page is constructed around a 14 parts grid, in which text moves according to the actual movement occurring in the ritual.
Images come into that organization, seeking to disturb it. Breaking the grid is essential to a process that essentially aims to break down tropes and reasonings behind ritualistic and unquestioned gestures. It also allows for a kinder reading flow.
Each section is equally divided by a description of the Station in question, and its relation to common secular experiences such as concerts, theater representations and movie theater releases.
Covid-permitting, the publication will eventually be self printed in a limited edition of 5. Using Bible paper structures the whole project in reminding it of its cultural roots. And sacred print counterparts.
Transparency is essential to the visual aspect of the work. It illustrates the aim of making transparent the processes and reflection behind religious behavior which, I argue in the essay, are essentially shrouded in the communal experience is entails.
Many thanks to Hannah Ellis, as my Central Saint Martins MA tutor for her help throughout the inception of this piece.