Michael Jackson Shrine
A clash of the sacred and the secular
A clash of the sacred and the secular
For my BFA project I decided to display the iconographic Michael Jackson through traditional stained glass windows. I wanted to deify him, which was not that difficult to portray him in that light as he already viewed himself that way. The three windows below show Jackson in his youth (The Prodigy), his prime (The Prince), and his decline from popularity into sainthood (The Martyr). The windows depict scenes from his life muddled with rumor and truth, much like actual saints in their legends. For example, in The Prodigy I have a panel with his nose being broken. The rumor goes that his father broke it to keep his voice high while in the Jackson Five. This is then what made him self-conscious of his nose later in life. This is not confirmed to be true, but when it comes to myth and gossip, it doesn't have to be true to be accepted as fact. To create them I outlined the design in Illustrator, then divided the sections into colors. I laser-cut different colored transparent acrylics to make the "stained plastic" panels. For the wooden frame I used the laser-cutter to cut hole and etched in a little to set the plastic pieces into place. Then I reversed the window to hide the glue and suspended them in front of windows.
The Prodigy
This window (from top to bottom, left to right) shows Jackson born, him observing children play outside, Jackson with a broken nose (rumored to be rebroken to give him a higher voice and also cause him self-conscious feelings towards it later in life), his father beating him with a whip, Jackson dressed in his "Bad" outfit, him performing with the Jackson 5, and finally Michael Jackson receiving his calling. The central image is of him holding a microphone.
The Prince
This window (from top to bottom, left to right) Jackson in his classic pose, knighted with his Smooth Criminal hat, Neverland Ranch in it's peak state, his alleged affiliation with the occult (eye from the Illumanati), his performance of Thriller, Jackson moonwalking, his hair catching fire in a Pepsi commercial, and the nefarious artist formerly known as Prince twisting Jackson's monkey CoCo into attacking him. The central image is of Jackson holding a Golden Record and using the traditional Pantocrator gesture with his other hand.
The Martyr
This window (from top to bottom, left to right) shows Neverland Ranch in ruins, Jackson's release of "This is it", him receiving plastic surgery treatment, Jackson holding his son out over the balcony, him popping medical pills, Jackson in bed with a child, and him going on a shopping spree. The central image shows him in a prayer position, as this is the period in which Michael Jackson died.
