Jacob's Struggle Series
Jacob's Struggle
Sculpture Series
Jacob’s Struggle depicts the process of faith, from self-reliance to surrender to God’s presence. Jacob’s struggle is a contemporary version of the struggle within. It is the story of allowing God’s grace to dispel the darkness inside one's own heart. Jacob went from calling on his father’s God, to calling God his own in one night’s wrestle with an angel. After being visited, Jacob limped away with a new name, Israel, which means, “he who struggled with God and has overcome”; yet, I doubt Jacob ever once grappled with God again. Jacob’s right hand is still clenched in a fist, refusing complete surrender.
Jacob’s Struggle is presented in three ½ life-size sculptures that progress from right to left (as Hebrew is read). Jacob is found in a snapshot of movement depicted in three separate sculptures. The first two poses are similar in nature leading us to the last pose, which is an unforeseen motion towards hope. The three are linked by the Hebrew words carved in the right hand corner of each base from Genesis 32:25: “Jacob was left alone and he wrestled with a man.” Jacob appears small and isolated in relation to the bases, and their size is meant to communicate the presence of God. In order to allow the viewer to feel and relate to Jacob, every sculpture is presented at eye level starting at four feet. Each Jacob is mounted on a separate stand to convey the importance of every act and feeling. No emotion is more important than another, for together they bring Jacob to a place near God.
Jacob’s Struggle spent nine months traveling Southern California.
2006-07 “Dawn to Dawn” – Journeys through Pain to Freedom, Traveling Exhibit “Jacob’s Struggle” in Orange, Riverside, Capo Beach, Irvine, CA
September 1st, 2006 through May 1st, 2007