Marion Wilson, Last Suppers

In 2004-6 I cast the final meals of seven people on death row in materials that included bronze, ice cream, glass, resin, digital prints and cast iron. This sculpture and research project began on the eve of Timothy McVeigh’s (Oklahoma City bomber) execution when I was moved by a radio interview that spoke about the redemptive value (or not) of a death penalty for a victims family. Raised as an Episcopalean, I create a link to the historic last supper (a gesture of forgiveness) and the ritual of offering a prisoner a final meal. I use the anecdote of food choices and the beauty of art materials to engage the viewer in a contentious political topic.