Altarpiece, 2023

Glass, metal, textiles

Altarpiece was born out of an interest in transforming spaces from the mundane to the sacred. Burton believes that this transcendence can occur when an object placed within a space is imbued with religious meaning by a community or religious group. Throughout Late Medieval Europe, there was a rise in devotional objects that challenged the Christian leaders of the time. It became difficult to challenge the idea of holy matter when Christianity supported the notion that God created the entire world and it could, in turn, manifest his existence.

Through this project, Burton forms two objects rooted within the Christian tradition - first, a glass pomegranate bell. The bell pays homage to the robes worn by high priests who worshipped within Solomon’s Temple during the Old Testament. Their robes were lined with alternating bells and pomegranate tassels and could only be worn by males. Burton reclaims this fruit, often associated with fertility, as an ecofeminism symbol ripe for restoring high priestesshood. The choice of glass references the fragility of shared belief and the delicate balance needed when navigating religious progression within a patriarchal tradition.

The second object - a green velvet cushion embroidered with pomegranate leaves, makes a gentle reference to the contemporary temple clothing worn by those within the Latter-Day Saint community. These objects strive to connect the traditions of the past with the present. Burton presents Altarpiece as both a relic and a bud for the path of Christianity and what is to come.