Update: Members' exhibitions and events

Adam Boulter will be showing Paintings and Watercolours at Chez Manny, Battersea High St. SW11 3JS from Thursday 12th May till mid June. His show is viewable during the restaurant's opening hours.

Peter Webb will be showing in the next exhibition organised by the National Society of Painters, Sculptors and Printmakers, Monday 25 April – Sunday 8 May, at the Crypt Gallery, St Martin-in-the-Fields. Displaying a delight in the visual world and a fascination with its depiction, this exhibition by members of the society shows the typically wide variety of approach, technique and content fostered by its members.

Lost and Found an exhibition of cityscapes by Ukrainian-born artist and gallery founder Nadiya Pavliv-Tokarska exploring existential and psychological states in painting between abstraction and representation continues at the Tokarska Gallery.

Robert Enoch will be displaying his For God so loved the world ... Matisse paintings on the pillars of St Paul's Harlow for Easter Sunday.

Sarah Ollerenshaw is showing work in art, pray, love, an exhibition which is part of Hillside Church Wimbledon’s inaugural art festival.

Jonathan Evens is reading new meditations on the Seven Last Words from the Cross during the Good Friday Devotional Service beginning 2.00pm at St John's Seven Kings.

Colours and Stations of the Cross is the current commission4mission exhibition which is being held at All Saints Maldon from Saturday 16th – Friday 22nd April, 10.00am – 4.00pm, and features Stations of the Cross by Rosalind Hore combined with pottery by Harvey Bradley.

Colours and Stations of the Cross (3)

Colours & Stations of the Cross is the current commission4mission exhibition which is being held at All Saints Maldon from Saturday 16th – Friday 22nd April, 10.00am – 4.00pm, and features Stations of the Cross by Rosalind Hore combined with pottery by Harvey Bradley.

Colours & Stations of the Cross (2)

Colours & Stations of the Cross is a commission4mission exhibition at All Saints Maldon: Saturday 16th – Friday 22nd April 2011, 10.00am – 4.00pm.

Colours & Stations of the Cross features Stations of the Cross by Rosalind Hore combined with pottery by Harvey Bradley. Harvey's pottery has been designed to complement Rosalind's Stations through its use of colour.

Rosalind Hore

Rosalind Hore is a sculptor and painter of Christian subjects – Christ figures, nativity sets, Ecce Homo, Stations of the Cross etc. She works in clay, plaster, concrete (figures can also be bronze cast at the foundry). Her paintings are mostly in acrylic of the events in the life of Christ. Her work can currently be seen St Edmund Tyseley, St Laurence Upminster, and St Mary Goring-by-Sea. Rosalind seeks to express exaggerated emotion in her work through the use of elongated stylized figures, strong colour and sweeping folds, which exaggerate both movement and emotion.

All these characteristics of her work are apparent in these Stations of the Cross. The Stations of the Cross have been a big influence on her and her work. For this series she has used the traditional sequence of 14 pictures or sculptures depicting the following scenes:

1. Jesus is condemned to death
2. Jesus is given his cross
3. Jesus falls the first time
4. Jesus meets His Mother
5. Simon of Cyrene carries the cross
6. Veronica wipes the face of Jesus
7. Jesus falls the second time
8. Jesus meets the daughters of Jerusalem
9. Jesus falls the third time
10. Jesus is stripped of His garments
11. Crucifixion: Jesus is nailed to the cross
12. Jesus dies on the cross
13. Jesus' body is removed from the cross (Deposition or Lamentation)
14. Jesus is laid in the tomb and covered in incense.

Although not traditionally part of the Stations, the Resurrection of Jesus, as is common nowadays, has been included as a fifteenth station. Each of the Stations in this series are 34 x 42 inches, painted in acrylics, and feature three rose buds as a sign of the Trinity.
Harvey Bradley

Trained as a designer, Harvey Bradley is a long standing and selected member of Anglian Potters – a prestigious association that exhibits members work in such venues as Ely Cathedral, All Saints (Jesus Lane) and Emmanuel College in Cambridge. As well as contributing to these, Harvey has shown work at Chichester Cathedral, Spring Harvest, New Wine and Greenbelt with the Christian arts group Veritasse.

Harvey’s pottery series uses a new sequence for the Stations of the Cross, as follows:

1 Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane – yellow, blue and green
colours of a hopeful garden overshadowed by a hopeless plan

2 Jesus is betrayed by Judas and arrested – brown, ochre and black
an earthly radical sets in motion loves trusting betrayal

3 Jesus is condemned by the Sanhedrin – stripes of blue, black and orange
religious order and logic threatened by revolutionary notions of Love

4 Jesus is denied by Peter – gold and grey
the loving wealth of a new way stumbles to emerge

5 Jesus is judged by Pilate – stripes of blue and black
Pilate’s clean-cut authority warped by political compromise

6 Jesus is scourged and crowned with thorns – ochre, red and black
earthly vengeance on a passive form

7 Jesus takes up His cross – red, yellow and black
the carpenter lifts His earthly gift and transforms a crooked symbol

8 Jesus is helped by Simon to carry His cross – cream, brown and green
practical love breaks through a tyranny of hopelessness and hate

9 Jesus meets the women of Jerusalem – blue, orange and yellow
even a powerless Creator witnesses to the future promise

10 Jesus is crucified – black and red
stark clashes of light and dark – a ring of blood encircles a world of disbelief

11 Jesus promises His kingdom to the repentant thief – yellow, orange and blue
a cosmic reality breaks through the darkest experience of man

12 Jesus entrusts Mary and John to each other – blue, red and yellow
from the dark, gentle caring begins a new weave of sharing

13 Jesus dies on the cross – brown and black
the earth collapses – a cosmic utterance of silence lies on a lonely cross

14 Jesus is laid in the tomb – orange, black and yellow
earth’s static time sinks in the spirit of man to prepare for a creative song

15 The resurrection of Jesus – yellow and blue
nature’s spirit re-awakens, bounding to the joy of our Creators call

Ally Clarke interview

Ally Clarke is interviewed in the current edition of Third Way about her role as artist in residence for the Bradfield Club, a youth and community centre in Peckham.

In the interview Ally says, "My heart in inhabiting this place [the Bradfield Club] is to be obedient and joyful in creating artwork, and also in and through this work to be in prayer for the club and the neighbourhood, which situated right at the core of tough, urban Peckham."

Dedication of memorial windows

Memorial windows designed by Henry Shelton and etched by Richard Paton were dedicated at All Saints Hutton on Sunday 27th March.

The windows which are set within a screen and depict symbolically a variety of saints were commissioned in memory of Patricia Harries and were dedicated by The Ven. David Loman, Archdeacon of Southend during an 11.15am Service of Holy Communion.

A further commission of designs for the four Evangelists to be placed in the windows of the opposite screen is also underway.

Peter Webb and National Society of Painters, Sculptors & Printmakers

Peter Webb will be showing in the next exhibition organised by the National Society of Painters, Sculptors & Printmakers, Monday 25 April – Sunday 8 May, at the Crypt Gallery, St Martin-in-the-Fields. Displaying a delight in the visual world and a fascination with its depiction, this exhibition by members of the society shows the typically wide variety of approach, technique and content fostered by its members.

The National Society was formed in 1930 to meet a growing desire among artists of every creed and outlook for an annual exhibition in London which would embrace all aspects of art under one roof, without prejudice or favour to anyone. This legacy has continued as a guide and inspiration to creative artists ever since, with only a short break between 1940 - 1945. The freedom to experiment and explore new media or techniques has created a society that is totally professional while allowing the individual artists to realise their full potential.

The National Society is, therefore, a society that offers a challenge to all creative artists of the highest ability from any school of thought. By its very nature it strives to communicate with the widest possible audience, to excite, interest and involve the public by showing a broad spectrum of contemporary and innovative painting, sculpture and printmaking.

art, pray, love (2)

art, pray, love is Hillside Church Wimbledon’s inaugural art festival which launched on 26 March 2011 at The National Gallery with a guided tour by art historian and gallery lecturer Stuart Currie.

commission4mission regional repreentative, Wendy McTernan, has assisted with curation of the exhibition of paintings, ceramics and sculpture, some specially made for art, pray, love, which opened on Thursday 7 April at the church. The artists are drawn from local organisations and private galleries including Wimbledon Art Studios, YMCA London South West and The Cynthia Corbett Gallery.

The show includes paintings from Ghislaine Howard’s 365 Series, small pieces inspired by images seen in the news each day; Sarah Ollerenshaw’s iconic figurative work that speaks of sacrifice and love; and Claire Burke’s meditative compositions using shimmering gold and silver leaf. There’s also photography by Tim Edmonds and Tom Leighton, and drawings by Mercy Kagia. All work is for sale, with 15 per cent of proceeds going to support the local YMCA. A suggested donation of £5 to £10 will be collected at the door.

‘The festival came about through our passionate belief in the arts, and how this shapes the landscape of our journey through life together,’ says Anita Taylor, who is curating the exhibition on behalf of the church and showing some of her work.

Richard Thomas, church leader at Hillside says, ‘We believe that artists are generous people, sharing their gifts to inspire others.’

The festival continues with a guided gallery tour of Tate Britain on Saturday 9 April, and a series of Sunday morning talks at the church, celebrating Easter Sunday with a focus on Caravaggio’s Supper at Emmaus.

The art, pray, love exhibition is open 11.30-4pm, Tuesday to Friday, and 10-1pm on Sundays. Full programme details can be found at www.hillsidewimbledon.org or by telephoning 020 8944 5544.

Hillside Church, 37 Worple Road, Wimbledon, SW19 4JZ. Nearest station: Wimbledon 5 mins walk. Buses 57 and 131 pass the door; 156, 163, 164, 200, 219, 93 and 493 stop nearby.

Newsletter No. 7

Rt. Revd. Stephen Cottrell, Bishop of Chelmsford launching the Art Trail for the Barking Episcopal Area

Art Trail for the Barking Episcopal Area

A new Art Trail created for the Barking Episcopal Area by commission4mission with funding from London-over-the-Border was jointly launched by the Bishops of Chelmsford and Barking at St Paul’s Goodmayes on Thursday 17th February 2011.
 
The aim of the Art Trail is to raise awareness of the rich and diverse range of modern and contemporary arts and crafts from the last 100 years which can be found within the 36 featured churches. The significant works of art in these churches, taken collectively, represent a major contribution to the legacy of the church as an important commissioner of art.

The Art Trail includes work by significant twentieth century artists such as Eric Gill, Hans Feibusch, John Hutton and John Piper together with contemporary work by the like of Mark Cazalet, Jane Quail and Henry Shelton.

At the launch of the Art Trail, The Rt. Revd. Stephen Cottrell, Bishop of Chelmsford, described and interpreted a painting by Stanley Spencer, from his Christ in the Wilderness series, entitled The Scorpion, before concluding: “I do not know what other art form could convey and hold the possibility of converging in so many layers. Not just do the visual arts comment on biblical narrative, but they illuminate it in a way that written or spoken forms cannot, being linear forms. Art opens windows on a set of concepts and ideas and brings them together. These windows offer a fresh perspective onto the faith we share, that other forms simply cannot.”

The Art Trail is being publicised through a leaflet which provides information about the featured artists and churches and includes a map showing the churches featured on the Trail together with contact details, so that visits to one or more churches can be planned in advance. Fine Arts lecturer, artist and commission4mission member, Mark Lewis, researched and developed the leaflet documenting the Art Trail and introduced those present at the launch to some of the highlights of the Trail and the rationale behind it.

The Art Trail now has its own page on the Diocesan website which enables viewers to see the Art Trail leaflet online.

Run With The Fire

24 international artists are participating in Run with the Fire. These artists were selected, from a pool of 45 artists who applied to be part of the project, by an international jury of Dr. Dianne B. Collard (Director of Ministries – Europe, Artists in Christian Testimony International), Martin Crampin (Artist, Researcher and Designer) and Marleen Henglaar– Rookmaaker (Editor-in-Chief, ArtWay).

The selected artists began the project by writing a statement to describe their vision of ’running with the fire’ for the other artists involved. Each artist will be creating an artwork, using the idea of another artist as a starting point. This aspect of the project simulates the idea of a relay, with ideas being passed from one artist to the next. Each artist will make their work available electronically for use in the project, so that the mapping of ideas as they travel from one artist to another can become part of the final product.

Run with the Fire will provide a virtual exhibition of international artwork available on DVD, for display on large scale HD TV or monitor, or for projection using a digital projector. This digital exhibition can be presented as part of Olympics-themed events organised by churches in 2012 plus arts events or exhibitions organized by local churches.

Member profile: Nadiya Pavliv-Tokarska
 

 
Nadiya is a recent graduate of Middlesex University who has opened the Tokarska Gallery in Walthamstow. Her work combines realist painting techniques (use of perspective, micro-detail and layered glazes) with a partial breakdown of the visual field that is both perceptual and metaphoric. In her work she tries to communicate “the idea of vulnerability, the fragility of human existence.”

2011 exhibitions

• Colours and Stations of the Cross is a c4m exhibition for Holy Week taking place at All Saints Maldon from Saturday 16th – Friday 22nd April (10.00am – 4.00pm) featuring pottery by Harvey Bradley and paintings by Rosalind Hore.
• commission4mission will be a group show at the Crypt Gallery, St Martin-in-the-Fields from Monday 4th – Sunday 17th July. A private view will be held from 6.00pm on Monday 4th July.

2011 commissions

Completed commissions have been dedicated at:

• St Edmund’s Tyseley – The Baptism of Jesus by Rosalind Hore;
• St Peter’s Harold Wood – Two fused glass windows by Caroline Richardson;
• All Saints Hutton – Etched glass windows by Henry Shelton and Richard Paton.