New regional c4m representative

We are excited to be able to introduce Wendy McTernan, who has offered to represent commission4mission in Central, South & West London and to link up with our artists living and working in these areas. We think that Wendy's input can help to establish a regional cell for c4m artists in these areas to organise local social and arts events, develop relationships with local churches/structures and commissioning opportunities.

Wendy has been thinking about doing some art curating with a Christian ethos for a couple of years and just recently took the plunge by moving on from her job as Head of Development & Communications with the mission agency Latin Link. As well as seeking new employment, she is pursuing her art and mission interests. One project on which she is working is a photographic exhibition, originally seen in a church in Paris, that she is hoping to bring to London this year linked with the Year of the Bible/Biblefresh.

Wendy will initially be getting in touch with our artists in her area to discuss the idea of a regional c4m cell and to arrange an initial networking meeting.

Networking Afternoon

Our next commission4mission event is a networking afternoon on Saturday 17th July at St Paul's Goodmayes beginning at 2.00pm.

This event will enable each c4m member that wishes to to make a brief presentation about their work. To date, we are anticipating presentations by the Bishop of Barking, Colin Burns, Jonathan Evens, Mark Lewis, Caroline Richardson, Henry Shelton, and Joy Rousell Stone.

The networking event will be followed by the dedication of Henry Shelton's Stations of the Crown of Thorns from 4.00pm by the Bishop of Barking. This event will end with a buffet.

Henry's work at St Paul's features in the Art Trail created by the local cluster of Anglican churches with a route for visiting each church in turn which highlights artworks of interest in the four churches.

c4m networking event & 'Stations' dedication

The Stations of the Crown of Thorns, a series of 'Stations of the Cross' created by Henry Shelton for St Paul's Goodmayes as a commission gained through commission4mission, are to be blessed and dedicated by the Bishop of Barking on Saturday 17th July at 4.00pm.

The tryptich, which forms the centrepiece of the Stations of the Crown of Thorns, includes Stations 11, 12 and 13 and has inventively incorporated an existing metal crucifix into its design to form the 12th Station; 'Jesus dies on the cross'. There are 15 'Stations' as the scheme includes a resurrection 'Station' depicting Christ present in the Eucharistic elements.

The scheme as a whole is unusual in that, as part of its semi-abstract imagery, Christ is depicted throughout only by the Crown of Thorns. Shelton's trademark flowing lines, which create images through minimal means and with maximum facility, are in evidence throughout the scheme. However, as an artist who often paints with the tones and harmonies of the Dutch Masters, this commission represents a considerable lightening of his palette in order that the colour scheme of these 'Stations' harmonizes with the existing stained glass.

Shelton's 'Stations' complement other existing work at St Pauls Goodmayes, including stained glass by Sir Edward Burne-Jones, William Morris, and Leonard Evetts plus a Madonna and Child by Jane Quail, to create a feast of visual art for worshipper and visitor alike. Parish priest, Fr. Benjamin Rutt-Field, has written a set of meditations in order to pray the new 'Stations'.

Preceding the dedication of the 'Stations' will be a commission4mission networking event also at St Paul's Goodmayes beginning at 2.00pm on Saturday 17th July.

This will be a 20x20 networking event where commission4mission members will be giving presentations of their work (or an aspect of it). The presentation format is contained in the name, as each presentation will involve showing 20 images at 20 second intervals. Each member therefore has a seven minute slot in which to make their presentation.

PechaKucha 20x20 Nights were first devised in Tokyo in February 2003 as events for young designers to meet, network, and show their work in public. They have turned into a massive celebration, with events happening in hundreds of cities around the world, inspiring creatives worldwide. Drawing their name from the Japanese term for the sound of conversation ("chit chat"), it rests on a presentation format that is based on a simple idea: 20 images x 20 seconds. It's a format that makes presentations concise, and keeps things moving at a rapid pace.

All are welcome to both the networking event and the dedication of the 'Stations'.

Annual Report & AGM Agenda

commission4mission's Annual General Meeting will be held on Saturday 19th June at All Saints, West Ham. There will be an exhibition reception from 10.00am and the AGM will begin at 10.30am

Agenda

1. Welcome & apologies

2. Chairperson’s remarks.

3. Secretary’s report.

4. Treasurer’s report and Presentation of the Accounts.

5. Election of Officers & Committee Members.

6. Strategic Direction – led by Helen Gheorghiu Gould

7. Future Events.

8. Any Other Business.


Annual Report 2009/10

commission4mission was launched in March 2009 by our Patron, the Bishop of Barking, to encourage the commissioning and placing of contemporary Christian Art in churches, as a means of fundraising for charities and as a mission opportunity for churches.

During 2009/10 commission4mission has:

• built up a membership of 32 (as at 31/03/10), including a pool of artists available for Church commissions;
• published a publicity leaflet and a catalogue of artists;
• gained commissions for artworks at Queens Hospital Romford, All Saints Hutton, St Peter’s Harold Wood, St Edmund’s Tyseley and St Pauls Goodmayes;
• organised exhibitions at Chelmsford Cathedral, St Laurence Upminster, the Pentecost, West Ham and Leytonstone Festivals and as part of the E17 and Leytonstone Art Trails;
• begun use of ongoing exhibition space available to c4m members at All Saints West Ham;
• held networking evenings on the themes of ‘Spirituality – the heartbeat of Art?’ and 'Stations of the Cross';
• organised a Study Day on the theme of ‘Perspectives on commissioning Christian Art’ at Chelmsford Cathedral and held a launch event hosted by St Alban’s Romford; and
• developed a webpage (http://commissionformission.blogspot.com/) profiling our artists and giving up-to-date news of our activities;
• gained funding for the design and publication of our catalogue of artists and the employment of a project development worker (February – June 2010); and
• begun a strategic development review including a members consultation exercise.

Our first year has therefore been one of significant achievement and development which has confirmed the potential for an organisation such as commission4mission to enhance and further the commissioning and placing of contemporary Christian Art in churches and the support and networking of artists. Our success in gaining commissions during our first year of operation enabled us at the end of that year to donate £2,700 to the Haven House Children’s Hospice, thereby beginning to fulfil the fundraising for charities element of our aims.

We are very grateful to: all members for their support and involvement; all committee members for their direction and guidance; our Patron, Bishop David, for his ideas and interest; Helen Gheorghiu Gould for her work as Project Development worker; Ranjit Solomon for becoming the independent examiner of our accounts; and to Bishop David and London-over-the-Border for their generous financial support.

AGM, strategic direction & networking

commission4mission's AGM will be held on Saturday 19th June at All Saints West Ham beginning at 10.30am. The AGM will include the opportunity to view our initial exhibition in our ongoing exhibition space at All Saints, election of committee members and a substantive discussion of our strategic direction based on Helen Gould's review of c4m and her strategic direction paper.

Another date for diaries is our next networking event which will be on Saturday 17th July at St Paul's Goodmayes beginning at 2.00pm. We want this to be an event at which each of us can find out more about the work of other members, so are proposing that we do this as a 20x20 event. PechaKucha 20x20 Nights were first devised in Tokyo in February 2003 as events for young designers to meet, network, and show their work in public. They have turned into a massive celebration, with events happening in hundreds of cities around the world, inspiring creatives worldwide. Drawing their name from the Japanese term for the sound of conversation ("chit chat"), it rests on a presentation format that is based on a simple idea: 20 images x 20 seconds. It's a format that makes presentations concise, and keeps things moving at a rapid pace. Following the 20x20 presentations by c4m members, at 4.00pm the Bishop of Barking will bless and pray Henry Shelton's Stations of the Crown of Thorns commission which is now complete and installed at St Paul's Goodmayes. This will be followed by a buffet reception to finish off the event.

Networking evening, consultation & permanent c4m exhibition

Networking evening

Networking evening - Helen Gould, Henry Shelton & Rosalind Hore

Detail of Prophet Moses by Elizabeth Duncan Meyer

Angels by Elizabeth Duncan Meyer

Last night, we held a useful networking evening at St Laurence Upminister, as part of the current Grace & Passion exhibition, which featured Rosalind Hore and Henry Shelton talking about their recent series of Stations of the Cross leading into general discussion of the issues involved in painting the Passion.

In addition, we also had some stimulating discussion about the strategic development of commission4mission. We have been going just a year. In that time we have made great progress in establishing a membership base among artists and churches, and developing dialogue and opportunities for art in church – through commissions, exhibitions and other events. We now want to develop a strategy to guide the evolution of the organisation over the next 3-5 years and beyond and are asking members to contribute comments to a consultation exercise which we began last night.

Among the questions we are asking members are:

• What are your main reasons for being a member of c4M?
• How can c4m contribute to you, as a church or an artist?
• What is your vision for c4m?
• Is your vision addressed by the current vision and mission statement?
• What can you contribute to developing c4m?
• How far has c4m met your expectations of membership this year?

Following the Grace & Passion exhibition many of the works included in the exhibition, together with some additions (see, for example, the images of works by Elizabeth Duncan Meyer above), will be taken to All Saints West Ham who are making a permanent exhibition space available to commission4mission. This will mean that we will always have the opportunity to show potential commissioners of future works examples of work by our current artists. We intend using the space for a mixture of group and solo shows beginning with a group show which will be our contribution to this year's West Ham Festival. Once installed this exhibition can be viewed during All Saints' usual opening times (click here for details) or by phoning the Church Office on 0208 519 0764.

Grace & Passion exhibition

Grace & Passion is an exhibition of Christian Art for Passion Week by commission4mission members, 21st - 28th March 2010 - open 10.00am - 4.00pm daily at the Church of St Laurence, Corbets Tey Road, Upminster.

The exhibition's centrepiece is the first showing of a contemporary set of Stations of the Cross by Rosalind Hore. The Stations of the Cross have been a big influence on her and her work. Each of her Stations feature three rose buds as a sign of the Trinity. Also on display around the church will be work from Rosalind’s series of clay and plaster sculptures. A booklet featuring Rosalind's Stations is on sale at the exhibition.

Also featuring in the exhibition is work by other commission4mission artists: Adam Boulter, Colin Burns, Ally Clarke, Ann Creasey, Michael Creasey, Valerie Dean, Jonathan Evens, Rosalind Hore, Mark Lewis, Nadiya Pavliv, Caroline Richardson, Joy Rousell Stone, Henry Shelton, Peter Shorer and Peter Webb.

A networking event will be held during the exhibition on Monday 22nd March at St Laurence's Upminster, from 7.30pm-9pm. Rosalind Hore and Henry Shelton will be in conversation about the process of producing their Stations of the Cross - both have recently unveiled sets at their respective churches.

There will also be lenten reflections inspired by Jonathan Evens, and we will be consulting with members about the development of commission4mission. The evening will be relaxed and informal and a good opportunity to meet and talk with fellow members.

Networking Evening

Work on tryptich for Stations of the Crown of Thorns at St Paul's Goodmayes


Fr. Ben Rutt-Field showing the location for the 15th Station in the Stations of the Crown of Thorns scheme at St Paul's Goodmayes

Rosalind Hore and Henry Shelton will be in conversation about their experiences of producing Stations of the Cross at a commission4mission networking evening to be held at St Laurence's Upminster on Monday 22nd March, 7.30 - 9.00pm. Rosalind's Stations will be on display St Laurence's as part of commission4mission's Grace & Passion exhibition, while Henry's Stations of the Crown of Thorns is currently being completed and installed at St Paul's Goodmayes (see above).

Rosalind and Henry's reflections will lead into open discussion before the evening will close with meditative reflections on the Stations by Jonathan Evens.

Helen Gould

Helen Gould with Michael Creasey and Henry Shelton

Helen Gould will begin working on events and strategic development for commission4mission this month.

Helen is currently an ordinand at the North Thames Ministerial Training Course and will be ordained as a Deacon in June. We have gained funding from London over the Border to enable us to employ Helen on a part-time basis from February - April and then, once in her curacy, she will continue to be able to give time to work for commission4mission.

Before beginning ordination training, Helen was Director of Creative Exchange, a charity which for ten years researched and advocated for the role of culture in development. The organisation built up an international network and completed projects exploring the role of culture in international development, HIV/AIDS, conflict and in the inclusion and integration of refugees and asylum seekers.

Creative Exchange was launched in 1998, following a meeting of artists, development practitioners and policymakers in London in May 1997 which called for the establishment of a network to share information about the role played by arts activities in international development and social policy.

It gained charitable status in 2000. Its charitable mandate – to advance public education about ways in which arts and culture help poor and disadvantaged people improve their quality of life – was specially devised by the Charity Commission since no other charity had previously served to promote the social role of the arts.

Creative Exchange activities helped people connect and share ideas and skills, learn about the use of culture and arts in social settings, and change and influence policy and practice. Creative Exchange worked with local practitioners and grassroots organisations, listening to their knowledge and wisdom of how culture works and influences in people and communities. This work opened up new avenues for enquiry on the ‘Affective’ nature of arts and culture – the way culture engages with our emotional make-up and enables us to engage, participate and learn.

Since becoming an ordinand, Helen has been the Development Worker at St Andrew's Leytonstone where she has been involved in setting up Café Refresh and its Reflect Arts programme. Helen organised the commission4mission exhibition and artist's networking evening held at St Andrew's in 2009 and the Tree of Life Arts programme to which several commission4mission artists contributed.

Newsletter No. 3 – August 2009

West Ham Festival exhibition

Three exhibitions at three Festivals

Our first three exhibitions were held within a three month period as part of the Pentecost, West Ham and Leytonstone Festivals. Exhibiting artists included: Harvey Bradley, Anne Creasey, Michael J. Creasey, Jonathan Evens, David Hawkins, Rosalind Hore, Henry Shelton, Peter Shorer, Joy Rousell Stone and Peter Webb. The reaction from both the churches involved and from those visiting the exhibitions was very positive. All Saints West Ham have, as a result, offered us a permanent exhibition space.

Mark Lewis, Rosalind Hore & Jonathan Evens at the Leytonstone networking event

Spirituality – the heartbeat of Art?

Our exhibition at St Andrews Leytonstone also included a successful Art & Spirituality networking evening where we debated the question, 'Spirituality - the heartbeat of Art?'

Helen Gould, Refresh Project Development Worker at St Andrews, opened the event by saying that the networking event and exhibition launched a new creative programme – Reflect – which will run alongside their newly opened café, Refresh. Their intention being to offer a spiritual haven to the local community.

The evening continued with presentations from three commission4mission artists. Rosalind Hore spoke about her work as the exaggeration of emotion. She reflected on the way in which the medium affects the means by which she conveys emotion; working in clay affords more detail, while working in plaster or concrete requires sweeping lines and folds. She also described her functional work for church festivals and the way in which worship often inspired images and new work.

Mark Lewis spoke about spirituality in art as a sense of aliveness. He highlighted the very different work of Mark Rothko and Stanley Spencer, speaking about the sense of contemplation induced by Rothko's work and the sense of heaven in the ordinary in Spencer's. In speaking of his own work he described his sense of absorption in and fusion with the work as a spiritual experience.

Jonathan Evens argued that, despite reluctance among art critics and tutors to note or engage with religious themes and imagery, there is nevertheless a prevalence of religious themes and imagery to be found in modern and contemporary art. He gave a brief and partial alternative history of modern and contemporary art to illustrate this argument and suggested that this prevalence of themes and images does indicate that spirituality remains a significant inspiration of the visual arts.

Summaries of these three presentations can be found by clicking here, here and here. They led on to vigorous debate which covered the following issues:

• the extent to which spirituality should be the starting point for an artist's work or conversely whether spirituality could emerge from the artist's handling of form;
• the extent to which non-religious themes can convey a sense of spirituality;
• the extent to which traditional religious iconography still connects with the general public or whether artists should seek to create new imagery and forms for the truths of their faith;
• the extent to which the artist bears the potential audience for the work in mind while creating or is absorbed in the work itself without consideration of outside influences;
• the extent to which it is better to display spiritual art within churches or out in the public realm;
• ways of countering the perceived lack of interest or understanding of spirituality within the art world generally; and
• the need for examples of good practice and networks of artists with an interest in both art and spirituality.

Perspectives on commissioning Christian Art

The programme for our Study Day entitled 'Perspectives on commissioning Christian Art' has been finalised. Taking place on Saturday 7th November at Chelmsford Cathedral (New Street, Chelmsford, CM1 1TY) from 10.00am – 2.30pm , it follows our showcase exhibition in the Cathedral (Monday 2nd - Saturday 7th November, Cathedral opening times).

The programme is as follows:

9.45am - Registration & refreshments;
10.00am - Welcome & Introduction to commission4mission;
10.20am - The Very Revd. Peter Judd, Dean of Chelmsford Cathedral – ‘Experiences of commissioning art for Church & Cathedral’;
10.50am - Dr James Bettley, Chair of Chelmsford DAC – ‘Commissioning & the Faculty process’;
11.20am - Three commission4mission artists to be interviewed about their experiences of commissioning;
12 noon - Midday Prayers, Lunch break & Exhibition viewing;
1.00pm - Q&A session involving Peter Judd, Dr. James Bettley & the three artists;
1.45pm - Rt. Revd. David Hawkins, Bishop of Barking – ‘A Vision for the commissioning of contemporary Christian Art’;
2.15pm - Q&A session with Bishop David;
2.30pm: Close & Exhibition take-down.

To book a place or for more information, contact Jonathan Evens on 020 8599 2170 or jonathan.evens@btinternet.com.

First Station produced by Henry Shelton for the St Pauls Goodmayes commission

Two commissions

Our first two commissions have been over a year in negotiation but are currently in preparation. The first, is a set of fifteen Stations of the Cross by Henry Shelton for St Pauls Goodmayes (see left for example), which includes a central tryptich incorporating three stations and a resurrection station. The second is for two paintings by Henry Shelton (Crucifixion and Do this in remembrance of me) for the St Lukes Prayer Room at Queens Hospital Romford. This latter commission may also be expanded to include an additional piece by Henry and a sculpture by Rosalind Hore.

'St George and the Dragon' by Peter Webb

Member profile: Peter Webb

Peter Webb is a Fine Artist and former Head of Art at the Bishop Stopford School. His commissions include paintings of St George and the Supper at Emmaus for the school. He has painted many portraits of staff at the School and created a statue of Bishop Stopford from papier-mâché on a galvanised chicken-wire frame. His painting of The Betrayal can be viewed at St Marys Woodford. Peter is a member of Faith & Image and has contributed to community arts initiatives including a mobile created as part of the 2008 Woodford Festival.

Spirituality - the heartbeat of Art? (3)

In the third presentation from the Art & Spirituality networking evening at St Andrews Leytonstone, where three artists addressed the question 'Spirituality - the heartbeat of Art?', Mark Lewis speaks about spirituality in art as a sense of aliveness:

"I have taken something of a comparative approach and a very personal outlook on art and the spiritual. Heartbeat means life. No heartbeat no life. This rings chords with me because although I think that to a great extent all art has the potential to be spiritual … a real authentic spiritual heartbeat occurs when it brings about a certain sense of aliveness (I don’t just mean well-being) a heightened awareness; a depth or altered state of consciousness; a quickening of the human spirit. It’s a struggle to find the right kind of descriptive language to speak of these things, but I think Kandinsky got very close to it when he spoke of “a vibration in the soul”.

To be truly spiritual it has to be something that engages us, unites us, awakens us, gives a deeper loving engagement with life. It is something that sacralises, and at the same time, gives access to an experience of the sacred. It can be both medium and message. I am wary of trying to pin down these experiences because they are subjective and work at different level with different people. But, for the Christian tradition, it is the Spirit that gives life and it is the Spirit that speaks to our heart through the richness of art.

Many artists have always recognized a hidden spirituality in what they are doing. They are aware of an indefinable "other" which inspires artists and leads them into ever deeper creativity. The work of Rothko and Stanley Spencer, although dramatically different, have impressed me deeply….

Rothko

His paintings have a mysterious contemplative quality; a pure emotional experience… the spiritual power of non-objective art Some have observed to witness these paintings is to submit one’s self to a spiritual experience, which, through its transcendence of subject matter, approximates that of consciousness itself.

One is forced to approach the limits of experience and awakens one to the awareness of one’s own existence… confronted with silence and nothingness… in a very curious sense we are aware of our own heartbeat…

To stand before a Rothko painting (for me) is to be aware of ones own aliveness or being.

Stanley Spencer

Spencer was a devout Christian and believed God resided in all things and the miraculous could be found in everyday events. His paintings proclaim that Christ is in all things. In his paintings, Cookham becomes the setting for scenes from the life of Christ and other Christian narratives.

The ordinary and the everyday takes on a different significance.. we are encouraged to
look it through a different lens. ….not always rose-coloured… but a lens that allows us
to make deeper connections we would otherwise not make. Ordinary situations and things take on a greater significance.

Spencer sacralised everything. To contemplate his art is to enter into the deep resonances sacredness in the world…. It is aliveness..

Christ before Pilate by Mark Lewis

Me

I am passionate about drawing and its search for truthfulness. I end here (or perhaps in one sense I begin). We need to acknowledge more than we do that the act of making art as a truly spiritual act. It is also where the heart beats and where I feel most spiritually alive. Engagement with looking is important… but in the act of drawing we can participate in a spiritual process

The words of Ingres are often quoted: “Drawing is the probity of art…” I don’t think that I am the only artist who believes that drawing can be an altered state of consciousness, a form of meditation; a way of evolving to higher levels of awareness.

In the act of drawing, there is a point in time when ones concentration is focussed so intently on the work that time stands still. All distractions disappear. The artists merges with his or her work. One becomes part of the life or spiritual energy of what you draw. In some ways this a very Zen outlook. We draw attentively and we become what we draw. It brings about an intimacy. Seeing and drawing becoming one. It is a kind of love-making. It is a way of loving the world.

Drawing leads you into different kinds of truths (as no doubt painting does). At its best it is always process, a spiritual search with shifting boundaries. Like the religious journey… the journey is in many ways more important than the goal.

My drawing technique searches and often never arrives… line brings form alive but it can also unite and coalesce the deeper meanings of a narrative (e.g. the Stations of the Cross) …

Conclusion

In a very brief and fragmentary way I have tried to discern the ways in which art enlivens me and that this is uniting theme. I can relate to many art forms in this way, particularly landscape. I can relate strongly to the idea of art as prayer (Sister Wendy Beckett speaks of it in these terms).

Contemporary African writer Ben Okri claims that "ALL art is a prayer" and then he adds that it is basically a prayer for spiritual strength. Prayer - difficult though it sometimes is - is a form of communion. A deep engagement. It keeps our spiritual heart beating."

Spirituality - the heartbeat of Art? (2)

'The Baptism of Jesus'

A Church Holiday Club set

'Jesus in the Garden'

Rosalind Hore

In the second presentation from the Art & Spirituality networking evening at St Andrews Leytonstone, where three artists addressed the question 'Spirituality - the heartbeat of Art?', Rosalind Hore speaks about her work as the exaggeration of emotion:

Rosalind began her presentation by explaining that she grew up in a Church of Scotland manse and first remembers encountering Christian imagery through the Victorian images of Christ used in Sunday School at the time. She also developed early on a sense of being involved in the Church's year. She studied images of Christ during her sculpture course at Art College and was inspired by Michelangelo, El Greco, and Rodin.

She 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. She uses Christian symbols frequently in her paintings; flames, waters of baptism, doves, cross etc. Her Stations of the Cross each feature three rose buds as a sign of the Trinity. The Stations of the Cross have been a big influence on her and she has, to date, completed six bas-relief Stations and six paintings.

Her sculptures are all modelled and she works in clay, concrete and plaster. All of her sculptural work can be cast in bronze. Concrete and plaster involve use of an iron armature. Greater detail is possible when working in clay but, when working in concrete or plaster, shapes are simplified and greater use is made of sweeping folds and lines.

Rosalind has also produced a number of functional pieces for Church festivals and to enhance worship. These have included meditative pieces for Good Friday devotions and Festival displays. She retired from art teaching four years ago but, as a Rector's wife, has initiated an Art group at each church they have ministered in. The current group at St Laurence Upminster have a permanent display board in church with a changing display of work to reflect the seasons.

She said that art and faith are why she gets up in the morning and that the whole of her life is involved with these two things.

Rosalind ended by showing images of her work (see representative examples above) and spoke about each piece in terms of its imagery and inspiration. To illustrate the interaction in her work between inspiration and worship she spoke of being inspired to create a Corpus Christi image by paying attention to the priest holding the host and cup during the Eucharist. She said that non-religious themes can also provide a sense of spirituality particularly through the joy in creation of a still life or landscape.

Spirituality - the heartbeat of art? (1)

What follows is the text of Jonathan Evens' presentation in responding to the question 'Spirituality - the heartbeat of Art?' at the Art & Spirituality networking evening held at St Andrews Leytonstone:

"Sooner or later, if you love art, you will come across a strange fact: there is almost no modern religious art in museums or in books of art history. It is a state of affairs that is at once obvious and odd, known to everyone and yet hardly whispered about ... a certain kind of academic art historical writing treats religion as an interloper, something that just has no place in serious scholarship ... Straightforward talk about religion is rare in art departments and art schools, and wholly absent from art journals unless the work in question is transgressive. Sincere, exploratory religious and spiritual work goes unremarked. Students who make works that are infused with spiritual or religious meanings must normally be content with analysis of their works' formal properties, technique, or mode of presentation. Working artists concerned with themes of spirituality (again, excepting work that is critical or ironic about religion) normally will not attract the attention of people who write for art magazines ... An observer of the art world might well come to the conclusion that religious practice and religious ideas are not relevant to the art world unless they are treated with scepticism."

So writes James Elkins at the beginning of a book entitled On the Strange Place of Religion in Contemporary Art. On that basis the answer to tonight’s question would seem to be a resounding “no”. And yet, as Elkins also notes, these attitudes are odd, because there is a tremendous amount of religious art created.

Timothy Potts suggests in Beyond Belief: Modern art and the Religious Imagination, that “the pervasiveness of broadly religious and spiritual themes in twentieth-century Western art may at first seem to stand in contradiction to the secularization of so many aspects of life and culture during our times.”

“The religious underpinnings of so much Western art before [the twentieth] century – from its subject matter to its sources of patronage and its devotional purposes – are obvious and uncontentious,” he continues, but with the art of the twentieth century the religious dimension becomes “altogether more subtle, often more abstract and inevitably more personal.” Spirituality, while continuing to be pervasive, becomes less obvious and the perception grows that it is “not relevant to the art world.”

My answer to tonight’s question therefore is to point to the pervasiveness of religious and spiritual themes in twentieth century and contemporary Western art and in the remainder of my time that is what I aim to do by giving a whistlestop and inevitably partial tour of these religious themes and some of those artists that have used them.

The catalytic encounter of Émile Bernard and Paul Gauguin in Brittany in 1888 resulted in Post Impressionist paintings exploring the Catholic soul of Breton peasants. Bernard and Gauguin shared their new style with Paul Sérusier who, together with fellow art students including Maurice Denis, formed the Nabis.

Denis became one of the most significant artists in the French Catholic Revival, being prominent in the Nabis, as a Symbolist, and, through his Studios of Sacred Art, contributing to a revival of French Sacred Art. Denis’ influence was felt among Symbolists and Sacred Artists in Belgium, Italy, Russia and Switzerland, in particular.

A second circle of influence within the French Catholic Revival gathered around the philosopher Jacques Maritain. His book Art and Scholasticism was influential and he organised study circles for artists and others including the Expressionist Georges Rouault, the Surrealist Jean Cocteau, the Futurist Gino Severini, the Dadaist Otto van Rees and abstract art promoter Michel Seupher. His writings were also significant for the community of artists which formed around the sculptor Eric Gill at Ditchling, which included the artist and poet David Jones. Jones further developed Maritain’s ideas of images as signs in his paintings, poetry and critical writings.

A third circle of influence gathered around cubist pioneer Albert Gleizes, including Mainie Jellett and Evie Hone (who played significant roles in the development of Modern Art in Ireland) and Australian potter Anne Danger. Like Eric Gill at Ditchling, Gleizes formed a Catholic arts colony to further his ideas which embraced both painting and society seeking to identify natural rhythms for both.

A final circle of influence developed around the Dominican Friars, Marie-Alain Couturier and Pie Régamey, who insisted that the Roman Catholic Church call for the great artists and architects of their day to design and decorate its churches. The involvement of artists such as Marc Chagall, Férnand Leger, Le Corbusier, and Henri Matisse in churches such as Assy, Ronchamp and Vence was proof of the effectiveness of their approach and ministry. A similar approach was taken in the UK by George Bell and Walter Hussey which saw artists such as Henry Moore, Graham Sutherland, John Piper, Hans Feibusch and Cecil Collins decorating churches.

Expressionist artists such as Emil Nolde, Christian Rohlfs and Albert Servaes painted biblical scenes with an emotional intensity that was often more than the institutional churches at the time could accept. Georges Rouault added to this expressionist intensity with a compassionate Christian critique of contemporary society. Italian Divisionism and Futurism also included a strong strand of sacred art through artists such as Gaetano Previati, Gerardo Dottori, and Fillia.

Wassily Kandinsky created abstract art by abstracting from apocalyptic biblical images and felt that abstraction was the best means available to artists for depicting an unseen realm. Kasimir Malevich was not only influenced by the tradition of Russian icon painting but also by the underlying principle of icons – the presence of an Absolute in the world – to develop the Suprematist aim of self-transcendence.

Daniel Siedell writes that “for these and many other avant-garde painters well into the twentieth century, including Russian immigrants John Graham and Mark Rothko, modern painting functioned like an icon, creating a deeply spiritual, contemplative relationship between the object and viewer.” The influence also went the other way too, as Abstract Expressionist William Congdon converted to Roman Catholicism and used this style to create deeply expressive crucifixions.

Iconographer, Aidan Hart, notes that a revival of traditional iconography occurred in the twentieth century; led in Greece by Photius Kontoglou, in Russia by Maria Sakalova and Archimandrite Zenon, and in Europe by Leonid Ouspensky and Fr. Gregory Kroug. More surprisingly, a Lutheran tradition of iconography has also developed in Scandanavia led by Erland Forsberg.

Evangelicalism found artistic expression through the folk art of the American South with artists such as Howard Finster and Sister Gertrude Morgan gaining significant reputations. Such artists have often been both naive and visionary in their style, an approach that also characterised the work of New Zealand artist Colin MacCahon and British artist, Albert Herbert.

Other significant visionary artists using Christian themes and imagery have included Stanley Spencer, F.N. Souza, Betty Swanwick, Norman Adams, Roger Wagner and Mark Cazalet.

In response to the growth of Christian Art on the Asian continent, the Asian Christian Art Association was founded in 1978 to encourage the visual arts in Asian churches. Australia encouraged contemporary religious art through the establishment of the Blake Prize in1951. From that date until the present, its judges have chosen as prize winners artists and works which reflect the movement in Modern Art from the figurative to the abstract. Wojciech Wlodarczyk notes that one special aspect of Polish Art in the 1980s was its links with the Roman Catholic Church. Martial law forced the entire artistic community to boycott official exhibition spaces and instead places of worship hosted exhibitions. This period was marked by a profound interest in the whole question of the sacrum in art and was characterised by the work of Jerzy Nowosielski with its thoughts on the nature of religious art.

Finally, on this whistle-stop tour, there has been extensive use of Christian imagery by BritArt artists such as Damien Hirst, Chris Ofili, Mark Wallinger, and Sam Taylor-Wood. In their work, Christian iconography and narrative is often used as a frame for the artist’s critique of contemporary life including politics and culture.

As was argued at the beginning of this talk, issues of religion have been largely overlooked in the social and cultural history of twentieth-century art. As curator and author Daniel Siedell has argued, we need "an alternative history and theory of the development of modern art, revealing that Christianity has always been present with modern art, nourishing as well as haunting it, and that modern art cannot be understood without understanding its religious and spiritual components and aspirations."

Networking evening

Helen Gould introducing the Art & Spirituality Networking Evening

The panel for the evening - Mark Lewis, Rosalind Hore and Jonathan Evens

Rosalind Hore

Mark Lewis

Jonathan Evens

Peter Webb & Mark Lewis in discussion

Michael Creasey & Rosalind Hore

Viewing the exhibition

Viewing the exhibition

Viewing the exhibition

Last night's Art & Spirituality networking evening proved an intriguing and stimulating event as we considered the question, 'Spirituality - the heartbeat of Art?'.

Helen Gould, Refresh Project Development Worker, opened the event by welcoming us to St Andrews Leytonstone. The church has a 123 year old history and art has been an indelible part of the buildings life. This event and Commission For Mission's exhibition are launching a creative programme – Reflect – which will run alongside their newly opened café, Refresh. Their intention is to offer a spiritual haven to the local community. As a result, the church has been exploring again how to work with art and how it fits with their Anglo-Catholic tradition.

Helen suggested that God's creativity could be the starting point for that exploration with our hunan creativity understood as being one of ways in which we are made in the image of God. She noted that even John Calvin had acknowledged the Arts as a gift from God. Among the benefits that use of the Arts can bring to churches are the exploration of difficult issues, the revitalisation of worship, and the sense of being brought closer to the Creator God.

The evening continued with presentations from three Commission For Mission artists:

• Rosalind Hore - a sculptor and painter of Christian subjects – Christ figures, nativity sets, Ecce Homo, Stations of the Cross etc. Rosalind 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. Rosalind spoke about her work as the exaggeration of emotion. She reflected on the way in which the medium affects the means by which she conveys emotion; working in clay affords more detail, while working in plaster or concrete requires sweeping lines and folds. She also described her functional work for church festivals and the way in which worship often inspired images and new work.
  
• Mark Lewis - an artist, silversmith, Arts Lecturer at London Metropolitan University and Chair of Faith & Image. Mark has undertaken drawing and painting in a Christian context and has designed and made Church plate. In addition to his lecturing, Mark has delivered workshops for The Big Draw as part of its national launch. Mark spoke about spirituality in art as a sense of aliveness. He highlighted the very different work of Mark Rothko and Stanley Spencer, speaking about the sense of contemplation induced by Rothko's work and the sense of heaven in the ordinary in Spencer's. In speaking of his own work he described his sense of absorption in and fusion with the work as a spiritual experience.

• Jonathan Evens - paints in a symbolic expressionist style and has facilitated the involvement of churches in a range of public art projects. Jonathan's arts journalism has featured in publications including 'Art & Christianity' and 'The Church Times'. He is also a creative writer (meditations, poetry, short stories, and a blog) and the Vicar of St John the Evangelist Seven Kings. Jonathan is the Secretary of Commission for Mission. Jonathan argued that, despite a reluctance among art critics and tutors to note or engage with religious themes and imagery, there is nevertheless a prevalence of religious themes and imagery to be found in modern and contemporary art. He gave a brief and partial alternative history of modern and contemporary art to illustrate this argument and to suggest that this prevalence of themes and images does suggest that spirituality remains a significant inspiration of art.

Their three presentations will be the subject of subsequent posts and led on to vigorous debate which covered the following issues:

• the extent to which spirituality should be the starting point for an artist's work or conversely whether spirituality could emerge from the artist's handling of form;
  
• the extent to which non-religious themes can convey a sense of spirituality;
  
• the extent to which traditional religious iconography still connects with the general public or whether artists should seek to create new imagery and forms for the truths of their faith;
  
• the extent to which the artist bears the potential audience for the work in mind while creating or is absorbed in the work itself without consideration of outside influences;
  
• the extent to which it is better to display spiritual art within churches or out in the public realm;
  
• ways of countering the perceived lack of interest or understanding of spirituality within the art world generally; and
  
• the need for examples of good practice and networks of artists with an interest in both art and spirituality.