Ascension of VP Harris inspires painted tribute
Troy native’s work merges political, personal muses
In the vast rotunda of the U.S. Capitol the ceiling is adorned with a huge fresco by the Italian-american artist Constantino Brumidi. “The Apotheosis of Washington” is a lofty work depicting our first president stationed among the clouds and joined by dozens of celestial figures representing the early history and ideals of the nation.
Over the past year, local artist Brigid Rockwell worked on her own allegorical painting. Though on a smaller scale it’s in the same spirit, elevating an American leader to a realm beyond politics or even democracy. Rockwell’s “The Coronation of Kamala” is rendered in oil on canvas, measures 2 by 8 feet and was completed last month.
From the start the artist knew that the large piece she was taking on would somehow depict a story or allegory. She began by sketching a series of architectural arches and waited for the rest to be revealed. That was in January 2020 and the roller coaster year that followed provided plenty of raw material for her to work with.
“It’s about the longing for beauty in our culture (due to COVID -19 and the closure of arts venues) and the hopefulness of the election, with Kamala Harris as the first woman at that level,” says Rockwell.
Just right of center in the painting is Harris, wearing an immense red dress and kneeling as she receives a crown from a dark-skinned angel. “I didn’t want Kamala to be crowned by Biden and instead have an ethnic-looking person handing her power,” says Rockwell, who took the European tradition of coronation paintings as a point of departure. “Those painting have white guys at the center, then a ring of the middle class, and on the exterior the people of color, slaves and Indians. This is the reverse.”
Harris may be the title character, but the dominant figure in the work is a smiling young women wearing a jean jacket and extending her arms in triumph. The stars and stripes can be seen over her shoulder as she flashes the peace sign. This is Rockwell’s 19-year old daughter Lydia Rose Godman, currently a journalism student at Hunter College. Her joyful demeanor is taken from a snapshot on the afternoon of Nov. 7, when she was among the throng of young people filling Times Square in celebration of the Biden-harris victory.
Other folks in the densely populated painting are more archetypes than real people, except for the groovy woman at extreme left who’s decked out in platform shoes, bell bottoms and giant headdress. That’s Rockwell herself, ready to take on a new phase of life after nearly 20 years as a single mother.
Next, direct your eyes toward the right and you’ll come upon the ideal of a busy performing arts scene. There’s a trio of women in evening gowns, what Rockwell calls “the white Supremes.” Nestled close by are a couple of orchestral musicians being led by a tuxedoed conductor. Gold coins seem to rain down out of his giant hands. Also in the mix is a ballerina in a pink tutu and black tights and a haughty waiter serving cocktails.
There’s lots more going on. The oppo
“It’s about the longing for beauty in our culture (due to Covid-19 and the closure of arts venues) and the hopefulness of the election, with Kamala Harris as the first woman at that level.”
— Brigid Rockwell
site side of the canvas depicts multiracial mothers with children of various ages. Vines and flowers delineate the scenes throughout and small animals lurk here and there, including an owl that’s latched its talons into the train of Harris’ dress.
“I think a lot about magical realism and allegory when I do my work. I was raised Catholic, have read tarot cards and I’m named after a saint,” says Rockwell, who grew up in Troy. Studying illustration and graphic design at the School of Visual Art in New York, her coursework included semiotics and existentialism. She’s been teaching studio art for the lasts 15 years at community centers across the region. A few years ago, she toyed with the idea of running for Troy City Council.
In the fall, Rockwell relocated to Ballston Spa where her new partner Tobin Danison is renovating a Victorian farmhouse. Danison’s collection of a dozen electric guitars has inspired a new series of paintings.
“I’m learning a lot about guitars, and trying hard to get the frets right,” says Rockwell, who has already identified a metaphysical aspect to the project. “I just decided I’m going to name them after the 12 apostles. Music has been silenced for so long.
It’s like a prayer of silent instruments.”