‘The Shepard Cycle’ On View At Housatonic Community College

BRIDGEPORT — In 1998, Matthew Shepard, a young gay man, was murdered by peers. In court the defense claimed the crime was a gay bashing.

Nomi Silverman of Glenville, Connecticut, created a suite of prints in 2008 that detail this narrative. The collection, called “The Shepard Cycle,” is on view on the third floor of Beacon Hall at Housatonic Community College (HCC). The installation is sponsored by Housatonic Museum of Art and is on view through January 8.

Ms Silverman structured the persecution and suffering of Shepard much like the Passion of the Christ, also known as the Stations of the Cross.

“I used the Passion of the Christ/Stations of the Cross in this manner – describing his last night, and a few days after, loosely in those terms,” explains the artist. “I took liberties with the images, and moved and even eliminated one, but they are essentially there.”

The works on paper were created using lithography and etching.

“The idea is that each medium is slightly different – allowing for a push and pull of emotions,” said Ms Silverman. “Etching is a very violent medium, using acid on a plate to eat away at the metal. Lithography, the ‘gentler’ medium, allows for more nuances and a beautiful drawing-like quality which is perfect for the more subtle scenes.”

In her introduction to Ms Silverman’s portfolio, printmaker and painter Ann Chernow describes Silverman’s approach as approximating the social critique and sure-handedness of artists such as Spanish court painter Francisco Goya.  Regarding the Stations of the Cross, Chernow added, “Of particular significance is her liberal use of the Stations of the Cross as the allegorical vehicle to depict her intensity of feeling.  The entire suite is a condemnation of political and religious hypocrisy that emerged in response to the Shepard case …”

Gallery hours are Monday through Thursday, 8 am to 10 pm; Friday, 8 am to 6 pm; Saturday, 8:30 am to 4:30 pm; and Sunday, 11:30 am to 5 pm. The college’s main entrance is at 900 Lafayette Boulevard. Call 203-332-5000 for additional information.