{"product_id":"deposition-2-virginia-cohn-parkum-c-2021","title":"Deposition 2 - Virginia Cohn Parkum, c. 2021","description":"\u003carticle data-turn=\"assistant\" data-scroll-anchor=\"true\" data-testid=\"conversation-turn-6\" data-turn-id=\"b4b4e1d1-7f85-478b-ad26-490320b8c976\" dir=\"auto\" class=\"text-token-text-primary w-full focus:outline-none [--shadow-height:45px] has-data-writing-block:pointer-events-none has-data-writing-block:-mt-(--shadow-height) has-data-writing-block:pt-(--shadow-height) [\u0026amp;:has([data-writing-block])\u0026gt;*]:pointer-events-auto scroll-mt-[calc(var(--header-height)+min(200px,max(70px,20svh)))]\" tabindex=\"-1\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"text-base my-auto mx-auto pb-10 [--thread-content-margin:--spacing(4)] @w-sm\/main:[--thread-content-margin:--spacing(6)] @w-lg\/main:[--thread-content-margin:--spacing(16)] px-(--thread-content-margin)\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"[--thread-content-max-width:40rem] @w-lg\/main:[--thread-content-max-width:48rem] mx-auto max-w-(--thread-content-max-width) flex-1 group\/turn-messages focus-visible:outline-hidden relative flex w-full min-w-0 flex-col agent-turn\" tabindex=\"-1\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"flex max-w-full flex-col grow\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv data-message-model-slug=\"gpt-5-2\" class=\"min-h-8 text-message relative flex w-full flex-col items-end gap-2 text-start break-words whitespace-normal [.text-message+\u0026amp;]:mt-1\" dir=\"auto\" data-message-id=\"ba5e0f6d-53ed-43ac-8dd3-bccf9fc79f84\" data-message-author-role=\"assistant\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"flex w-full flex-col gap-1 empty:hidden first:pt-[1px]\"\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003ctable height=\"1543\" style=\"width: 98.087%;\" width=\"100%\"\u003e\n\u003ctbody\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 100%;\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: rgb(81, 185, 217);\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-end=\"53\" data-start=\"0\"\u003eArtwork Description\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDeposition 2\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr data-end=\"56\" data-start=\"53\"\u003e\u003cem data-end=\"88\" data-start=\"56\"\u003eVirginia Cohn Parkum, c. 2021\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003carticle data-turn=\"assistant\" data-scroll-anchor=\"true\" data-testid=\"conversation-turn-6\" data-turn-id=\"b4b4e1d1-7f85-478b-ad26-490320b8c976\" dir=\"auto\" class=\"text-token-text-primary w-full focus:outline-none [--shadow-height:45px] has-data-writing-block:pointer-events-none has-data-writing-block:-mt-(--shadow-height) has-data-writing-block:pt-(--shadow-height) [\u0026amp;:has([data-writing-block])\u0026gt;*]:pointer-events-auto scroll-mt-[calc(var(--header-height)+min(200px,max(70px,20svh)))]\" tabindex=\"-1\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"text-base my-auto mx-auto pb-10 [--thread-content-margin:--spacing(4)] @w-sm\/main:[--thread-content-margin:--spacing(6)] @w-lg\/main:[--thread-content-margin:--spacing(16)] px-(--thread-content-margin)\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"[--thread-content-max-width:40rem] @w-lg\/main:[--thread-content-max-width:48rem] mx-auto max-w-(--thread-content-max-width) flex-1 group\/turn-messages focus-visible:outline-hidden relative flex w-full min-w-0 flex-col agent-turn\" tabindex=\"-1\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"flex max-w-full flex-col grow\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv data-message-model-slug=\"gpt-5-2\" class=\"min-h-8 text-message relative flex w-full flex-col items-end gap-2 text-start break-words whitespace-normal [.text-message+\u0026amp;]:mt-1\" dir=\"auto\" data-message-id=\"ba5e0f6d-53ed-43ac-8dd3-bccf9fc79f84\" data-message-author-role=\"assistant\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"flex w-full flex-col gap-1 empty:hidden first:pt-[1px]\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"markdown prose dark:prose-invert w-full wrap-break-word dark markdown-new-styling\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"flex max-w-full flex-col grow\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv data-message-model-slug=\"gpt-5-2\" class=\"min-h-8 text-message relative flex w-full flex-col items-end gap-2 text-start break-words whitespace-normal [.text-message+\u0026amp;]:mt-1\" dir=\"auto\" data-message-id=\"7dbb9ce6-002d-4a76-84f7-6af88d3e62f9\" data-message-author-role=\"assistant\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"flex w-full flex-col gap-1 empty:hidden first:pt-[1px]\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"markdown prose dark:prose-invert w-full wrap-break-word dark markdown-new-styling\"\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"64\" data-end=\"618\"\u003eCreated for the 2021 exhibition \u003cstrong data-start=\"96\" data-end=\"122\"\u003e“De-Colonizing Christ”\u003c\/strong\u003e at St. Stephen’s Riverfront Gallery, \u003cem data-start=\"160\" data-end=\"174\"\u003eDeposition 2\u003c\/em\u003e occupies a singular and deeply consequential place within Virginia Cohn Parkum’s body of work. As the most recent painting that can be firmly dated and the largest composition she ever completed, the piece carries the gravity of culmination. It does not feel like a continuation so much as a gathering — an act of drawing together decades of spiritual inquiry, political conscience, and personal reckoning into one final, deliberate statement.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"620\" data-end=\"1311\"\u003eThe title invokes the Deposition: the moment Christ’s body is taken down from the cross. Historically, this scene has been rendered as spectacle, grief, or divine pathos. Parkum approaches it differently. Rather than presenting a literal biblical tableau, she distills the moment into a choreography of weight, support, and care. The composition emphasizes the act of lowering — the human labor of care — over the drama of martyrdom. Arms, structural lines, or abstracted forms seem to brace and receive, suggesting not a single narrative event but a universal gesture: the responsibility of the living to hold the dead, the burden of compassion, and the quiet dignity of tending to loss.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"1313\" data-end=\"1804\"\u003eThis shift from spectacle to tenderness aligns with the exhibition’s mission to re-examine inherited Christian imagery through a decolonizing lens. Parkum removes triumphalism and replaces it with vulnerability. The sacred does not reside in divine authority or redemptive suffering imposed from above, but in human proximity in the act of bearing one another through grief. In this way, \u003cem data-start=\"1703\" data-end=\"1717\"\u003eDeposition 2\u003c\/em\u003e reframes religious iconography as an ethic of care rather than an instrument of power.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"1806\" data-end=\"2456\"\u003eThe painting’s physical presence reinforces this interpretation. Its scale invites bodily encounter; the viewer does not simply observe the scene but stands within its gravity. Parkum’s surface alternates between density and dissolution: passages of heavy pigment evoke corporeal weight and earthly matter, while softened edges and luminous openings suggest transition rather than transcendence. The color palette — grounded earth tones punctuated by muted reds and restrained light recalls flesh, soil, and the threshold between life and decay. Rather than dramatizing death, the work situates mortality within the continuum of material existence.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"2458\" data-end=\"2935\"\u003eWithin the arc of Parkum’s career, \u003cem data-start=\"2493\" data-end=\"2507\"\u003eDeposition 2\u003c\/em\u003e resonates as a profound bookend to her lifelong engagement with spirituality, mortality, and liberation. Earlier works wrestled with suffering, state violence, ritual symbolism, Buddhist compassion, and the search for inner freedom. In this painting, those themes converge into a distilled meditation on release: not escape from suffering, but acceptance of its reality and the ethical responsibility it places upon the living.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"2937\" data-end=\"3527\"\u003eViewed in the context of her life, the work takes on additional poignancy. Created shortly before her cancer diagnosis, \u003cem data-start=\"3057\" data-end=\"3071\"\u003eDeposition 2\u003c\/em\u003e can be understood as an artist standing at the threshold — not in foreknowledge, but in intuitive awareness of impermanence. Parkum had long grappled with death as both existential reality and spiritual passage; here, the subject is no longer distant or symbolic. The painting’s quiet gravity suggests an artist contemplating the human condition with unusual clarity, distilling what mattered most: compassion, release, and the shared burden of mortality.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"3529\" data-end=\"4068\"\u003eHer decision to contribute to \u003cem data-start=\"3559\" data-end=\"3581\"\u003eDe-Colonizing Christ\u003c\/em\u003e at this stage in her life underscores a sense of artistic necessity. This was not merely another exhibition; it was an opportunity to participate in an evolving dialogue about faith, power, suffering, and redemption — themes that had threaded through her work for decades. In offering \u003cem data-start=\"3867\" data-end=\"3881\"\u003eDeposition 2\u003c\/em\u003e, Parkum did not present a doctrinal answer but a human response: the sacred is revealed not in conquest, nor even in sacrifice, but in the act of holding one another at the edge of loss.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"4070\" data-end=\"4567\" data-is-last-node=\"\" data-is-only-node=\"\"\u003eAs her largest and final dated work, the painting reads as a quiet magnum opus. It is not triumphant, but resolute. It gathers her explorations of religion, spirituality, and death into a final gesture of empathy. It replaces spectacle with tenderness, martyrdom with care, and transcendence with presence. In doing so, \u003cem data-start=\"4385\" data-end=\"4399\"\u003eDeposition 2\u003c\/em\u003e stands as a farewell not in despair, but in understanding — a final offering from an artist who spent her life seeking meaning in suffering and found it in compassion.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n-\u003cspan style=\"color: rgb(114, 58, 150);\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eJonathan Flike\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: rgb(114, 58, 150);\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/article\u003e\n\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 100%;\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: rgb(81, 185, 217);\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCustom Shipping Notice\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDue to size, weight, and handling requirements, this painting requires custom shipping. Shipping costs are \u003cstrong data-end=\"238\" data-start=\"222\"\u003enot included\u003c\/strong\u003e at the time of purchase and will be \u003cstrong data-end=\"322\" data-start=\"275\"\u003equoted separately after payment is received\u003c\/strong\u003e. A custom shipping invoice will be issued \u003cstrong data-end=\"393\" data-start=\"365\"\u003ewithin 3–5 business days\u003c\/strong\u003e, based on the artwork’s dimensions, destination, and quotes from our shipping partners. The artwork will \u003cstrong data-end=\"560\" data-start=\"499\"\u003enot ship until the shipping invoice has been paid in full\u003c\/strong\u003e. This process ensures appropriate packing, insurance, and safe delivery.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 100%;\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: rgb(81, 185, 217);\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eInformation\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eStyle: Modern\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSubject: Figure\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eYear: 2021\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSize: 48.00 x 36.00 in (121.92 x 91.44 cm)\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMedium: Acrylic\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMaterial: Canvas\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSignature: Signed\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eCirculation status: One of a kind\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFrame Status: Unframed\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 100%;\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: rgb(81, 185, 217);\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-start=\"78\" data-end=\"119\"\u003eVintage Condition Disclaimer\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr data-start=\"119\" data-end=\"122\"\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003ePlease note that this item is vintage and shows wear consistent with age, use, and history. Signs of wear may include, but are not limited to, minor surface marks, patina, fading, or imperfections typical of older items. All items are sold\u003cstrong\u003e as-is\u003c\/strong\u003e, which is standard with vintage and pre-owned goods and cannot be returned on the basis of condition. Measurements are approximate. We do our best to describe items accurately; however, condition assessments are subjective. If you would like additional details, images, or clarification before purchasing, please contact us through the contact form.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: rgb(81, 185, 217);\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSpecial Condition Notes\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eN\/A\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 100%;\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: rgb(81, 185, 217);\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eProvenance*\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e2021-2025\u003c\/strong\u003e: Virginia Cohn Parkum\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e2025-2026\u003c\/strong\u003e: Cordier Auctions\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e2026-Present\u003c\/strong\u003e: Visard Gallery\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch6\u003e\u003cem\u003e*Provenance and attribution details are based on our best research and are offered in good faith but are not guaranteed. Please contact us through the contact form with any questions prior to purchase.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/h6\u003e\n\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 100%;\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: rgb(81, 185, 217);\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAcademic Resources\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: rgb(81, 185, 217);\"\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.dropbox.com\/scl\/fo\/fi3m8b0grc277g12czjg1\/ACj1KDAbO13SKyhypI6ysLs?rlkey=s3oqgp11pljzq8n4f1vpahu27\u0026amp;st=6nr74zc0\u0026amp;dl=0\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: rgb(81, 185, 217);\"\u003eVirginia Cohn Parkum Research \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.dropbox.com\/scl\/fo\/e8vnon5v9ml9f54zs9r07\/ABFaZjTGHmWxTl5a70xzebc?rlkey=tn14xm7bbvo5o0qwd3td3z5g3\u0026amp;st=yx6wbi6y\u0026amp;dl=0\" style=\"color: rgb(81, 185, 217);\"\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003c\/tbody\u003e\n\u003c\/table\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/article\u003e","brand":"Visard Gallery","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45741293174945,"sku":"ART053","price":5000.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0698\/6072\/0801\/files\/ART053_Deposition2_VirginiaCohnParkum__Full.png?v=1771799505","url":"https:\/\/visardgallery.com\/products\/deposition-2-virginia-cohn-parkum-c-2021","provider":"Visard Gallery","version":"1.0","type":"link"}