Members update

The Menier Gallery will be hosting the 80th annual exhibition of The National Society of Painters, Sculptors and Printmakers from Tuesday 10 - Saturday 21 September.

This is an opportunity for the public to see a broad range of work encompassing a dynamic mixture of contemporary paintings, sculpture and printmaking by well established artists from around the UK. Not only will there be hung work to view but also works on paper in browsers and artist cards. Don’t miss this opportunity to support one of London’s premier contemporary art exhibitions and the chance to purchase innovative art at realistic prices.

An increasing number of commission4mission members are also becoming part of the National Society, so look out for some familiar faces if you are able to see the show.

Oxford Journals have recently published the latest book review by Jonathan Evens in The Journal of Theological Studies: The Sacred Community: Art, Sacrament, and the People of God. By DAVID JASPER. Jonathan Evens The Journal of Theological Studies 2013; doi: 10.1093/jts/flt127.

Jonathan's earlier book reviews for the Journal of Theological Studies can also be found by clicking here, here and here.

The Visitor and Reaching Beyond

The Visitor, by Smith and Moore, is a small, sturdy sculpture which draws its inspiration from the ancient Jewish story of the Burning Bush. This tells of a trigger moment when a device (the Burning Bush – see Exodus chapter 3, verse 2) led to liberation from slavery. This device, The Visitor, seeks to stimulate people to reach beyond existing expectations, boundaries and relationships.

Some people find contemporary art remote. The Visitor was made to be touched, handled, moved around and photographed. It is not exactly a flame, a leaf, or an eye. That is the point; what you see or think or feel is what The Visitor is for you.

From early 2012 The Visitor has been on an uncharted journey via churches and other organisations through five London boroughs (Greenwich, Hackney, Newham, Tower Hamlets and Waltham Forest)  with photographs, videos, poems or notes of what happens being posted at http://www.reachingbeyond.co.uk/ and due to be used in the Reaching Beyond exhibition along with the Visitor, if it survives the journey!

The Reaching Beyond exhibition at Bow Road Methodist Church (2 Merchant Street, London E3 4LY) will include the work of about twenty artists, with works in various forms including paintings, icons, sculptures, mosaics, cartoons and fabrics. The works will be augmented week-by-week with the winning works of the young people’s art competitions and the poetry competitions. Admission free. Normal opening hours 12 noon to 6.00 pm Monday to Saturday. 23 July to 1 September 2012.

Reaching Beyond is coordinated by Colloquy, an art and theology project which is part of the Methodist Church. The group has an inclusive remit, and welcome involvement from people of all faiths and none. We are very pleased to be able to provide information about this exciting project as a result of recent contact with Colloquy.

Dedication of mosaics

The Rt Revd David Hawkins, Bishop of Barking and patron of commission4mission, dedicated new mosaics, commissioned through commission4mission, at St John's Seven Kings today. The dedication took place at the end of the Patronal Festival service for St John's.

The two mosaics were commissioned as part of the development of the community garden at St Johns. They were envisaged as bold, bright works to catch the eye of passers by and draw them into the green space of the garden. Viki Isherwood Metzler has re-created her Graffiti Love design for display on the East wall of the church, while Sergiy Shkanov has added a mosaic to the Trinity sculpture in the remembrance area of the garden. This design of circular and triangular lines connecting three granite shapes is intended to symbolise the constant exchange and interconnections within the Godhead.

Completed commission: St John's mosaics

A commission for two mosaics at St John's Seven Kings has been completed today in readiness for their dedication by Rt Revd David Hawkins, Bishop of Barking, during tomorrow's Patronal Festival service at the church.

The mosaics complete work that the church has carried out to create a community garden and will also feature in both the local Church art trail and the art trail for the Barking Episcopal Area.

Graffiti Love by Viki Isherwood Metzler has been installed on the east wall of the church, where it can be seen by passers-by on the busy Aldborough Road South. The second mosaic is by Sergiy Shkanov and forms part of a Trinity sculpture, designed by the community garden planning group, for the remembrance area of the community garden.  

The value of public art

The value of public art was under discussion yesterday at St Paul's Harlow with delegates to a commission4mission study day touring the Gibberd Gallery and Harlow Town Centre sculptures as examples of good practice in public planning.

Those attending the study day, organised by commission4mission and supported by both Art and Christianity Enquiry and the Harlow Art Trust, heard from the Rt Revd David Hawkins, Bishop of Barking, and Benedict Read, Trustee of the Harlow Art Trust and Deputy Chairman of the Public Monuments and Sculpture Association.

Bishop David argued that our towns and cities are increasingly dominated by multi-national brands and images that overtake communities visually and commercially. Within this context, "Public art helps to create the identity of a place by providing a rallying point around which people can be formed, as well as providing an opportunity to look beyond the humdrum in order to live better lives with more inspiration."

In his presentation, Benedict Read summarised the history of public art in the West in order to set in context the outstanding collection of public art in Harlow: "In their context, Harlow's commissions placed an emphasis on restoring the social fabric. Sir Frederick Gibberd saw public sculpture as a sign of civilisation and much public art is about exploring what should be valued in society."

Delegates visited the Gibberd Gallery to see the current John Mills retrospective and the Frederick Gibberd Collection of British watercolours and drawings before taking a tour of the Town Centre sculptures. An art workshop for members of St Paul's Harlow was led by Dr Philip Jenson of Ridley Hall and commission4mission artist, Robert Enoch. The workshop was used to plan a freize for St Paul's Harlow telling the big story of the Bible to which the congregation and the wider community will be able to contribute in future. The day ended with a cream tea at St Mary's Little Parndon.

St Paul's Harlow is a key part of the artistic heritage of Harlow being a modernist church designed by Humphrys and Hurst which includes an impressive mosaic by John Piper, on the theme of the Emmaus Road. St Paul's is also, as a result, one of the churches which features in the Art Trail for the Barking Episcopal Area. Recognising the significance of the Arts to Harlow and wanting to contribute to the understanding and development of public art in the Town Centre were two of the reasons why St Paul's Harlow chose to host this study day and involve commission4mission in exploring new possibilities for artwork in the church building. A photographic display, which can still be seen at the church, had also been commissioned to show hidden aspects and unusual perspectives of the church building as part of stimulating thought and encouraging fresh thinking. 

For more on the presentations at this study day click here and here.