Artwork of the Week: March 17
Lee Udall Bennion imbues the mundane with a sense of the sacred in this self-portrait. On one level, her homemade loaf of bread is simply an example of the food necessary to sustain our physical existence. But for Bennion, it also references the countless loaves baked for her family—an act of love and sacrifice. Indeed, Bennion paints herself literally offering the bread with open arms. The loaf becomes an offering to her family, and to the Lord; it is a reminder that, as Melvin J. Ballard said, “A person cannot give a crust to the Lord without receiving a loaf in return.” The painting’s title, Daily Bread, invites additional religious reading: “Give us this day our daily bread” (Matthew 6:11). This request from the Lord’s Prayer is that Heaven deliver the physical, emotional, and spiritual sustenance required for each day. The painting references not only physical nourishment, but a form of spiritual sustenance as well: Bennion’s apron acts as a tablecloth of sorts, reminding the viewer of the cloth covering the bread and water of the Sacrament.
Today we celebrate Lee Udall Bennion’s birthday.
