Every person is a special kind of artist

A few months ago I had the chance to interview David Hawkins, the Bishop of Barking, about his artistic practice and interests. That interview is being published in two different versions in the July editions of Art & Christianity and The Month. Bishop David had some fascinating observations to make and to give you a taster here is an extract from the interview:

"I think there is a big need to re-engage with the Arts. The Church has had a lengthy and happy marriage with the Arts in the past but this has eroded in recent times. A good example of what can be done is The Last Supper murals I commissioned for the Chapel of St George’s Crypt in Leeds. This is an example of taking ‘high’ art into a project that was for homeless people. We were juxtaposing art with those who are excluded in Leeds society. Steve Simpson, the artist, painted The Last Supper in the round such that the paintings of the Apostles would be on the wall next to contemporary worshippers. He worked from photos of some of the homeless people so there was a sense of the present day inhabitants of the Crypt being points of reference for the Apostles. This is taking art into a public space and enabling daily interaction from those using the space. It was also part of creative writing workshops that encouraged creativity in those using the Crypt.

I agree with Rowan Williams that the Church needs more artists and “that artists are not special people but every person is a special kind of artist.” I think that there is great scope in the Church encouraging creative expression in everyone as this is a way of helping us to be fully human. Where appropriate that flowering of artistic expression can be expressed in Church as, for example, an outflow of worship. We are fellow-creators with God and need to remember that he is creator as well as redeemer."

Steve Simpson's Last Supper murals can be viewed at the St George's Crypt website while information about the public artwork created by Bishop David and two colleagues in Leeds can be found at the Mene Mene website.