Church Times: Proverbs of Micah Purnell, poster painter

iMy latest feature article for Church Times is an interview with artist and designer Micah Purnell:

'Text-based work is what gets his creative juices flowing, and that has a somewhat surprising source, which pre-dates his training in graphic design, advertising, visual art, and culture. He says that it “probably comes from the Wisdom literature in the Bible that I was exposed to as a teen and enjoyed reading growing up”.

His work involves “playing with words and editing it down and trying to be as succinct as possible”.

Looking at Proverbs, he was impressed by “how pithy and enlightening they are”.“A lot of the phrases that I find in Proverbs talk about the power of the spoken word,” he says, “how you can build people up or bring them down, such as Proverbs 15.1, ‘A gentle answer deflects anger, but harsh words make tempers flare.’”'

His work can currently be seen in Wembley Park's free art trail which consists of 14 pieces across a number of mediums, including paints, digital mixed media and upcycled materials. Underpinned by a sense of togetherness, diversity and hope, Micah's Against the Odds and Power in Unity were inspired by people uniting in tougher times to stand together for the greater good. A theme he has been looking over through 2020 and 2021, Micah sought to bring a positive and memorable experience to Wembley Park, creating an 'Ahhh' moment through the powerful design.

I have worked with Micah on a number of occasions over the past two years. See these articles and workshops at:

• Artlyst - A Belonging Project And Exiles Loss and Displacement
• HeartEdge - PassionArt: The Art of Belonging
• Artlyst - The People Behind Community Is Kindness Billboard Campaign
• HeartEdge - Art and Social Change

Other of my pieces for Church Times can be found here.

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Bruce Cockburn - All's Quiet On The Inner City Front.