Each order comes with the following statement, explaining the concept behind the sticker:

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Dear recipient,

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In your envelope you will find the work of art entitled Agnus Dei. It is presented as a sticker, although it is also so much more than that. The sticker is merely the medium that is used to communicate the concept, which, as you will see, poses necessary questions for today’s culture.

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The emojitized lamb figure in your envelope derives its appearance from the painting, Agnus Dei, by Francisco de Zurbarán. Zurbarán’s depiction of a sacrificial lamb on a table is a strikingly unembellished symbol of the Christian faith. Directly alluding to the death of Jesus Christ, the symbol of the sacrificial lamb represents a universe injected with hope and a life given meaning. The symbols that permeate today’s culture, in contrast, tend to hold little meaning beyond the surface, and they thus exemplify the current postmodern culture, which values the superficial. We know these symbols as emojis and hashtags. Emojis communicate truncated bits of emotions and archetypes, while hashtags receive value only insofar as they gain trending status, which is to say that their value comes from being valued. The culture, similarly, values fabricated social media personas and trends, and, in such a culture, true meaning and purpose can be lost. In a word, the philosophy that has taken root is ipostmodernism, or postmodernism manifested through social media.

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We find that what results is a sense of aimlessness, although we hide it well. We masquerade it as freedom of choice and personal expression, touting phrases like “you do you” and “you only live once”, which satisfy our dwindling attention spans with a succinctly presented yet unaccountable value system. I believe the consequences of these attitudes include a rise in individualistic hedonism, a deficiency of mutual respect and accountability, and an unbelief in universal truth and meaning. The lack, therefore, of deeper meaning in the American zeitgeist has fomented, and will continue to foment, profound cultural issues.

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By juxtaposing a symbol of deep meaning, the sacrificial lamb, with a contemporary, postmodern symbol, i.e. an emoji, the Agnus Dei sticker illuminates this dilemma and poses certain questions, such as: What exactly does our culture value, and what should it value? What are the broader effects of “you do you” or “you only live once”? How is the culture influenced by social media? How can we cultivate meaning and purpose, through social media or otherwise, in a postmodern society?

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Thank you for purchasing Agnus Dei and for reading about its origins. Whether you resonate with the concept or you are simply drawn to the design, I hope that it brings you a little bit of joy. You may present it in whatever way meets your fancy; it works great on laptops, water bottles and phone cases. If someone inquires about it, you can tell them that it is a piece of art!

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Love, 

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The Artist