Art talks and exhibition reception

The Barking Episcopal Area Arts Festival has featured a full day on the visual arts today with art talks, the Run with the Fire digital art exhibition and Harlow Seniors Photographic Society Exhibition at St Paul's Harlow plus a lunchtime reception at the commission4mission exhibition in 20 Broad Walk, Harlow Town Centre CM20 1HT.

Bishop Stephen Cottrell outlined the background to Stanley Spencer's Christ in the Wilderness paintings before sharing meditations based on particular paintings in the series. Mark Lewis summarised the career of John Piper, highlighting his interest in abstraction, typographical content, war commissions, colour and contrast, stained glass commissions before ending with his murals including the Emmaus mosaic at St Paul's Harlow.

Many of those at the art talks then came across to view commission4mission's current exhibition as part of our lunchtime reception. The exhibition continues until 4.00pm on Monday 27th May.   

Photographing community relations

Click here to view Mark Burton's beautiful photographs documenting the recent visit of the Archbishop of Canterbury to Leytonstone. Mark will be the main exhibitor at St Barnabas Walthamstow for the E17 Art Trail 2012 during the first three weekends of September.
On June 7th the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, visited St Andrews Church and Shri Nathji Sanatan Hindu Mandir in Leytonstone. He had come to hear about initiatives from the Near Neighbours programme, which bring people of different faiths together.

Mark was invited to photograph the day by the Forest Women’s Interfaith Network. Like many grass roots leaders, they work tirelessly behind the scenes to create a web of relationships that bind our community together.

During the day he was enormously impressed by Dr Williams saying he had never seen anyone work a room like he did – not a hand was left unshaken and he made time to make sure there were a few words and a warm smile for everyone.

Condemned: Lent/Easter series - Week 3

commission4mission has created a Lenten and Easter journey for 2012 using images by our artists combined with passages from Isaiah 53. Throughout Lent and for the first two weeks of Easter, we will post images and words from 'Condemned' here on a weekly basis.
Robert Enoch , who contributes the third image in our series, makes art, films and photographs. His art is an exciting exploration of colour, form, movement and meaning. He makes artistic interpretations of the Bible in a visionary form and has made artistic installations for the church that visually explore and interpret the Gospels. His films are a blend of social documentary and corporate video. In his photographs he searches the environment for images of piercing meaning among everyday things. Free is an on-going collection of photographs by Robert of the words FREE and FREEDOM. His entry in the ECVA Artists Registry can be viewed by clicking here.
Other artists contributing images to the series are Mark Lewis, Christopher Clack, Rosalind Hore, Nadiya Pavliv Tokarska, Jim Insole, and Peter Webb. 'Condemned' has been compiled by Helen Gheorghiu Gould.

In addition to the weekly posts, 'Condemed' is also available as either a powerpoint or pdf file on request from Jonathan Evens at jonathan.evens@btinternet.com.

Members update: event and exhibitions

The next event organised by Faith & Image, a forum for all who are interested in art and spirituality, will be: 'Politics, Persecution and Propaganda: The Music of William Byrd.'

William Byrd was England's greatest composer of the Elizabethan period, but his life was shaped by his Catholic religious commitment. In hostile circumstances, he made his voice heard through a highly politicised use of his art.

This will be a talk with music examples by Graham Dixon on Tuesday, January 24th January at 8.00pm. Venue: The Gwinnell Room, St Mary’s Church, High Road, South Woodford, E18. Visitors welcome. Donations invited. Refreshments available. Details from Mark Lewis: Telephone 020 8504 5840 or email: pharos@sketchbook.wanadoo.co.uk.

Emerging artists Melissa Burn, Jakub Ceglarz, Mette Tofte Philipsen, Polly Saunders and Subash Thebe are showing their latest work in ‘Five Seasons’ at the Tokarska Gallery until 28 January, Thursday - Saturday, 12noon - 7pm.

Then the Gallery will show the work of Lia Vio, who lives and works in Düsseldorf, Germany. Her work positions the viewer as a voyeur and participant in a surrealistic journey of self-reflection, offering not only formal inquiry into the ephemeral visual relationships around us, but also the blended aspects of the visual world and visual thinking as well. The visual perception of her photographs operates on many planes: you can always see more in conjunction with what you're focused on.

Tokarska are showing large format photographs from the series "Reincarnation", "Solely in My Head", "Mining the Silent Evidence" and others. Each photograph is cohesive within its series, both formally and conceptually, evoking a sense of awe, mystery and suspense. 2 - 25 February 2012. PRIVATE VIEW 2 February 2012, 7pm - 9pm.

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.

E17 Art Trail @ St Barnabas Walthamstow

Fr. Steven Saxby has provided information about the diverse range of artists which St Barnabas, Walthamstow is hosting this year for the E17 Art Trail. Their private view and "meet the artists" event is tomorrow evening (Thursday 2nd September) from 8pm - 9.30pm. Click here for subsequent opening dates and times.

Anna Newson-Lyons presents 'From here to there', a collection of pictures including Funky Big Ben and Double Vision; London at night taken on the South Bank of the Thames. Mara Love and Pride are from a collection of wildlife photographs taken in the Masai Mara, Kenya. The collection also includes from dusk to dawn landscape pictures of Australia in Sunrise at Uluru and Sunset Storm in The Maldives. Handmade cards are also included in the collection of local winter scenes and summer flowers taken in Waltham Forest.

Anthony Lane presents “Lano” – two oil on canvas works.

Cinthia Oram presents two flower arrangements characteristic of her work which specialises in creating unique flower arrangements using fruits, vegetables and various materials.

Emma Scutt presents "E17 Portraits, Past & Present" inspired by the theme for this year’s Art Trail, 'Welcome to Walthamstow', which made her think of all the different people who live in the borough, and also St Barnabas church itself.

Johanna Melvin is exhibiting seascapes taken from old-fashioned nautical engravings. Jo has exhibited widely including the Royal Academy of Art, Contemporary Art Society, Flowers East Gallery and has work in several provate collections including Whitechapel Gallery Archives, John Cass Faculty of Fine Art and the Colony Room collection.

Pen Dalton presents a large wall installation 5 x 20 feet, concerned with issues of identity and entitled “Does your mother come from Ireland?” The title comes from a popular song in the early 20th Century. The installation uses documentary writings and images from the twentieth century: familial, legal, educational, popular, medical, academic, religious and cultural to show how people – in this case Pen's grandmother – interact and change their identities in and through the social world.”

Rebecca de Quin and Louise Loder are art school trained silversmiths. De Quin is a Master of Arts of the Royal College of Art where she teaches part-time. Loder received her Master of Arts award from London Guildhall University. They have shared a workshop in Walthamstow for six years where they work independently but enjoy the benefits of sharing knowledge and discussing ideas. Both explore the potential of silver to capture the imagination of a contemporary audience, but achieve very different results as shown in their exhibit 'The Art of Silver'.
Sean Pines - Fashion Photography. With a career in photography spanning over 20 years, Sean has kept ahead of current trends, consistently producing fresh, concept based images which present not only the garments, but the fantasy also.

WACVC (Walthamstow Amateur Cinevideo Club) has been going strong since 1949. The club will be exhibiting some its productions on local history and special-interest. This will include DVDs such as "Hollywood E17" which uncovers Walthamstow's secret history in the early years of the cinematic industry. Find out what the club is about and take part in a workshop on ChromaKey where we place you somewhere else using a green screen.

St Barnabas Walthamstow itself is a work of art, an architectural gem. It is a Grade II* listed building designed by W.D.Caroe and completed in 1903. The church also houses a wonderful collection of art works, some of which are highlighted below:

- ‘Veni Creator Spiritus’, lettercutting on slate behind the font (1994) by Charles Smith.
- Statue of St Barnabas (1946) by Faith-Craft Works
- a carving of ‘Christ the Good Shepherd’ (c.1890) by Peter Brunner and originally part of the Children’s Shrine at St Martin’s-in-the-Fields.
- Statue of Our Lady, Mary (1936) by Faith-Craft Works
- ‘Christ the Man of Sorrows’ – C18th copy of the painting by Luini.
- Reredos from children’s chapel of St John’s, Red Lion Square (c.1925) by Christopher Webb.
- East Window stained glass, depicting ‘Our Lord in Majesty and Twenty Four Elders casting down their Crowns’ (1903) by Clayton and Bell.
- 1902 Foundation stone (behind the main altar) by Eric Gill, then articled to W.D.Caroe.
- Statues of St Michael and two angels (by and above the main altar) (1910) by Alec Miller
- Organ corbels of David and Miriam (2000) by Charles Gurrey
- Oak Rood (large crucifix hanging above chancel steps), designed by W.D.Caroe and carved by Nathaniel Hitch (1921)
- Statue of St James (c.1950) by Faith-Craft Works
- Green reredos designed by Julian Litten (1989) and incorporating panels of the four evangelists (painted c.1860)
- Stations of the Cross – currently lying flat on pews in south aisle.

Robert Enoch

'Resurrection' at the Brightlights Festival

'The Cup at Gethsemene'

Robert Enoch makes art, films and photographs. His art is an exciting exploration of colour, form, movement and meaning. He makes artistic interpretations of the Bible in a visionary form, has made artistic installations for the church that visually explore and interpret the Gospels and has recently finished new work for the Brightlights Festival 2010. His recent films are a blend of social documentary and corporate video. In his photographs he searches the environment for images of piercing meaning among everyday things. Free is an on-going collection of photographs by Robert of the words FREE and FREEDOM. His entry in the ECVA Artists Registry can be viewed by clicking here.

c4m artists news update (4)

Photographs of Valerie & Roger Dean's exhibition at Pages of Hackney

The contrasts between Chelsea and Hackney may be extreme but both have their own art communities and both are currently hosting exhibitions by commission4mission artists.

Elizabeth Duncan Meyer's sculptures form a backdrop to the conviviality which characterises the garden that becomes the meeting, greeting and eating place at the Chelsea Arts Club over the summer months. Worked in clay, stone and wood, her sculptures are minimally marked; less is more as she works with the grain of the wood and vein of the rock to create iconic figures with a gritty and emotive resilience. Her Mother and Child has the soaring upward curve of her celebrating mother balanced by the foetal curve of the child on the womb from which it has emerged, while her Face of Moses is, by contrast, scratched and scarred stone.

Roger Dean's beautifully focussed photographs of the patterning found in nature's details are entitled 'Emerging Images' but this title applies equally to the paintings of his wife, Valerie. In her work, semi-abstract figures emerge from blurred expressionist landscapes to be silhouetted by passages of light. Her Venetian scenes are saturated with light creating hazy views while, in her biblical works, light illuminates darkness and realises her characters. Pages of Hackney, which hosts their exhibition, is both an eclectic bookshop and a community and cultural hub, holding regular events and monthly exhibitions in its basement gallery.

The next exhibition featuring a commission4mission member, of which we are aware, will be a one man show by Michael Creasey at the Visual Arts Centre, Frances Bardsley School, Romford from August 23rd to 28th. More details to follow.

c4m artists news update (3)

Nadiya Pavliv features in the Middlesex University Art and Design Degree Show 2010 currently at The Old Truman Brewery (Friday 4th June - Monday 7th June). The exciting range of work on show covers fine art, fashion, graphic design, illustration, photography, interior architecture, furniture, product design and even sonic art!

Kent-based artist and photographer Valerie Dean and Roger Dean will make their London debut on 5th June 2010 when an exhibition of more than 40 of their paintings and photographs opens at independent bookshop and gallery Pages of Hackney in East London. Valerie’s approach to art is refreshingly honest, and her distinctive style has won plaudits from art buyers in Brussels and the UK. To capture the ‘emerging images’ on the canvas, she mixes acrylics with household items bought from her local B&Q – though the final results are far from everyday. A member of the Society of Catholic Artists, many of Valerie’s paintings have a spiritual dimension, with angels, messengers and the holy family emerging from the abstract. Other paintings take their inspiration from landscapes, in the UK and abroad. Roger Dean will also be exhibiting a series of photographic prints on canvas alongside Valerie’s paintings. Taking inspiration from the natural world, water and reflection are key themes, with an international edge.

Photos from the recent Art workshop led by Mark Lewis at St John's Seven Kings can be found by clicking here. An article about the workshop can be found in the current edition of the Ilford Recorder.

Ally Clarke

out there

held

Ally Clarke studied Sculpture and is inclined to create installation works complimented by photography, drawing, collage and print. Enjoying creative collaborations, she has recently worked with a Sculptor / Performance Artist producing film, sculptural and performance works.

Ally views her creative work as a means of investigating the world and engaging with others in the consideration and wonder of it, intending that the work communicate something of the value and uniqueness of us as individuals and stimulate consideration by the viewer of the particular, precious contribution each makes to their world. She presents evocative, personal creations that produce opportunities for reflection and refreshment.

The materials used in her installations are selected largely because of their symbolic nature and their inherent textural composition. Oftentimes the materials are collected from particular people - the forging of new friendships in this process is frequently an important aspect of the work.

Ally has installed a number of 3D works in 'sacred' spaces as an aid to worship and contemplation and loves to create artwork to compliment a particular sermon series or study theme. She has several installations which could be recreated on request in churches and other spaces. See Chosen Stones and Agony for Hope for more information.

Jonathan Evens

Mark of the Cross

I AM Love

Jonathan Evens paints in a symbolic expressionist style and has facilitated the involvement of churches in a range of public art projects. His 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's paintings can be viewed on the Veritasse website by clicking here. More information about all of Jonathan's creative projects can be found on his blog at: http://joninbetween.blogspot.com/.

Each week he posts a new photograph in his 'Windows on the World' series on his blog. Past images from this series (each of which feature a foreground object framing a background view to suggest the way in which we each see the world from a specific perspective while also simultaneously perceiving something beyond) can be viewed by clicking on the photographs tab in the blog index.