Using toys, Diana Thorneycroft reconstructs historical paintings showing the martyrdom of saints, setting her scenes in Canadian landscapes. In doing so she exchanges religious devotion for black humor and absurdity, in the sour realization that people are still tortured in the name of religion, and violence has become entertainment in our popular culture.

Diana Thorneycroft (b. 1956, Canada) has exhibited various bodies of work across Canada, the US, Edinburgh, Moscow, Tokyo and Sydney. Her work has been included in the 2002 released Phaidon Press publication Blink, which presents the work of 100 rising stars in photography.