Judith

In revisiting the biblical story of Judith, the theme of domination and submission gains an intricate twist in this scene. The intentional theatricality of the setting includes the north rose window from Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris, a Star Wars stormtrooper helmet, a samurai’s traditional katana sword, and a pineapple (a traditional symbol of hospitality since American colonists began bringing them home from the Caribbean in the 18th century). Although these elements suggest role-playing rather than the actual story of the comely Jewish widow who beheaded the Assyrian general Holofernes to save her besieged city, the elements of violence and danger are still present in very subtle ways.