GIOTTO’S ARENA CHAPEL

Giotto’s Arena Chapel, Padua, Italy — When I was asked to do an exhibition at the Williams College Museum of Art, the scale and dimensions of its Octagonal Gallery reminded me of Giotto's Arena Chapel in Padua. These frescoes, which are 700 years old, create a narrative that wraps around the walls of the chapel. The colors are bright, almost Matisse-like. I decided to reinterpret Giotto's frescoes for this space. While I concentrated on the formal elements in Giotto's work, the structure, composition and color, I had not taken into account that in reworking these frescoes filled with Christian iconography I would end up with a piece with religious implications.