Mark Bradford is an African American artist who here shares a view of the 8^th Amendment to the Constitution. This amendment is a prohibition of cruel and unusual punishment. Some of the words are visible.

Bradford is deeply interested in the Constitution and the Bill of Rights as pieces of paper that embody fundamental human rights. For Amendment #8, Mark Bradford used paper pulp built up and scraped down and swirled with bright colors and black and white working within the mysterious, living nature of these documents and their varied legibility through history.

We give thanks for the underlying reverence of this artist for our foundational documents and for the complexity of his medium. In these chaotic times as we turn to God to stay centered in truth, justice and love,  may we appreciate the breadth of our nation’s past and the depth of this artist’s unique perspective. Lord, hear our prayers.

In gratitude, faith and hope,

Sandy Prouty
Minister of Children and Families
Montview Church