And I am Guarding Until it Blazes

Hewitt has spent an extensive amount of time examining the heavenly attributes attached to the act of smoking. This unconventional focus was also brought to life by artist, Nathalia Bell, who was inspired by scholarship on the aesthetics of breath in cinema, namely, the prevalence of smoking in films. To Hewitt, there seems to be something inherently divine about the rising of cigarette smoke which disperses whilst aiming for the heavens. Similarly, in the celebration of the Mass, the thurible burns and expels incense in the form of a thick, sweet-smelling, continuous smoke which fills the space. Hewitt has collaborated with Italian model, Don Amerigo, and elegantly depicts this striking figure indulging in the act of smoking and within the urban landscape – specifically, positioned outside the Church building which towers above him. At first glance, one may interpret this as a scene of drunkards or juveniles who have grown exhausted or reached a collapsed state following the end of the night. The rule of three is incorporated into the painting through the figures and speaks of the Holy Trinity and religiosity so often present in Hewitt’s artwork. In this instance, these figures are representative of Christ (centre), St Peter (left) and the infamous Judas Iscariot (right). The central Christ figure is specifically represented as The Sacred Heart of Jesus. Notice how the brushstrokes possess a fluid smoke-like quality and how the national colours of Italy are visible in the items of clothing worn by the men; contrary to the purity of Christ’s white shirt, Judas is characterised by a blood red tie which restricts his neck – certainly hinting towards and foreshadowing his death by hanging. In fact, it may be unclear whether he is simply lounging in deep relaxation as Peter is or is already in a state of death. It is written that St Peter holds the keys to the gates of Heaven and is the patron saint of locksmiths. Ironically however, these young men are seemingly “locked out” of the Church behind them and are denied access beyond the closed gates. Perhaps the padlocked gates symbolize the world’s concealment of the ethereal (and more specifically the gift of the Traditional Latin Mass), especially from young hearts and minds. Like supplementary paintings by Eva Hewitt, the youthful quality in this piece is very significant, as it does worldly justice to the heavenly beauty of Christ Jesus. Additionally, the artist has chosen to dedicate this painting and indeed a large portion of her artistic practice to the younger generation. In many individuals, she has perceived confusion, despair and isolation – all of which are undoubtedly evidenced and indeed encouraged in the contemporary world. Whilst Judas despaired of all hope after his betrayal of Christ, Peter did not – in fact, he cried bitterly and this final incident is known as the Repentance of Peter.
“I hope to meet St Peter at the gates one day.” – E. Hewitt