Church Times: Art review: Slipping the Veil (St Bartholomew the Great, London EC1)

My latest exhibition review for Church Times is on Slipping the Veil (St Bartholomew the Great, London EC1):

'“Slipping the Veil” seeks to offer what is constantly discovered in St Bartholomew the Great, whether through its architecture, space, or worship: the offer of glimpses beyond time and materiality. What the building and exhibition offer is, in the words of T. S. Eliot, a pattern of timeless moments. In the brief time that this exhibition is in this space, take the opportunity to slip the veil of time to experience a momentary glimpse of the timeless.'

For my review of an earlier exhibition at St Bartholomew the Great see here.

Other of my pieces for Church Times can be found here. My writing for ArtWay can be found here. My pieces for Artlyst are here, those for Seen & Unseen are here, and those for Art+Christianity are here.

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Nick Cave - Seven Psalms.

Seen and Unseen: The late Pope Francis was right – Antoni Gaudi truly was God’s architect

My latest article for Seen and Unseen is entitled 'The late Pope Francis was right – Antoni Gaudi truly was God’s architect' and explores how sanctity can indeed be found amongst scaffolding, as Gaudi’s Barcelona beauties amply demonstrate:

'In welcoming the news that Gaudí had been declared Venerable, Cardinal Juan José Omella, Archbishop of Barcelona, said “It is a recognition not only of his architectural work but something more important.” He continued: “He is saying you... amid life's difficulties, amid work, amid pain, amid suffering, are destined to be saints.” Ultimately, he notes, “Gaudí’s life and work show us how beauty and holiness can transform the world” as they include the “recognition that sanctity can be found amid scaffolding, suffering, sublime obsession.”'

For more on Antoni Gaudí see here and here. 

My first article for Seen and Unseen was 'Life is more important than art' which reviews the themes of recent art exhibitions that tackle life’s big questions and the roles creators take.

My second article 'Corinne Bailey Rae’s energised and anguished creative journey' explores inspirations in Detroit, Leeds and Ethiopia for Corinne Bailey Rae’s latest album, Black Rainbows, which is an atlas of capacious faith.

My third article was an interview with musician and priest Rev Simpkins in which we discussed how music is an expression of humanity and his faith.

My fourth article was a guide to the Christmas season’s art, past and present. Traditionally at this time of year “great art comes tumbling through your letterbox” so, in this article, I explore the historic and contemporary art of Christmas.

My fifth article was 'Finding the human amid the wreckage of migration'. In this article I interviewed Shezad Dawood about his multimedia Leviathan exhibition at Salisbury Cathedral where personal objects recovered from ocean depths tell a story of modern and ancient migrations.

My sixth article was 'The visionary artists finding heaven down here' in which I explored a tradition of visionary artists whose works shed light on the material and spiritual worlds.

My seventh article was 'How the incomer’s eye sees identity' in which I explain how curating an exhibition for Ben Uri Online gave me the chance to highlight synergies between ancient texts and current issues.

My eighth article was 'Infernal rebellion and the questions it asks' in which I interview the author Nicholas Papadopulos about his book The Infernal Word: Notes from a Rebel Angel.

My ninth article was 'A day, night and dawn with Nick Cave’s lyrics' in which I review Adam Steiner’s Darker With The Dawn — Nick Cave’s Songs Of Love And Death and explore whether Steiner's rappel into Cave’s art helps us understand its purpose.

My 10th article was 'Theresa Lola's poetical hope' about the death-haunted yet lyrical, joyful and moving poet for a new generation.

My 11th article was 'How to look at our world: Aaron Rosen interview', exploring themes from Rosen's book 'What Would Jesus See: Ways of Looking at a Disorienting World'.

My 12th article was 'Blake, imagination and the insight of God', exploring a new exhibition - 'William Blake's Universe at the Fitzwilliam Museum - which focuses on seekers of spiritual regeneration and national revival.

My 13th article 'Matthew Krishanu: painting childhood' was an interview with Matthew Krishanu on his exhibition 'The Bough Breaks' at Camden Art Centre.

My 14th article was entitled 'Art makes life worth living' and explored why society, and churches, need the Arts.

My 15th article was entitled 'The collective effervescence of sport's congregation' and explored some of the ways in which sport and religion have been intimately entwined throughout history

My 16th article was entitled 'Paradise cottage: Milton reimagin’d' and reviewed the ways in which artist Richard Kenton Webb is conversing with the blind poet in his former home (Milton's Cottage, Chalfont St Giles).

My 17th article was entitled 'Controversial art: how can the critic love their neighbour?'. It makes suggestions of what to do when confronted with contentious culture.

My 18th article was an interview entitled 'Art, AI and apocalypse: Michael Takeo Magruder addresses our fears and questions'. In the interview the digital artist talks about the possibilities and challenges of artificial intelligence.

My 19th article was entitled 'Dark, sweet and subtle: recovered music orientates us'. In the article I highlight alt-folk music seeking inspiration from forgotten hymns.

My 20th article was entitled 'Revisiting Amazing Grace inspires new songs'. In the article I highlight folk musicians capturing both the barbaric and the beautiful in the hymn Amazing Grace and Christianity's entanglement with the transatlantic slave trade more generally.

My 21st article was entitled 'James MacMillan’s music of tranquility and discord'. In the article I noted that the composer’s music contends both the secular and sacred.

My 22nd article was a book review on Nobody's Empire by Stuart Murdoch. 'Nobody's Empire: A Novel is the fictionalised account of how ... Murdoch, lead singer of indie band Belle and Sebastian, transfigured his experience of Myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME) through faith and music.'

My 23rd article was entitled 'Rock ‘n’ roll’s long dance with religion'. The article explores how popular music conjures sacred space.

My 24th article was an interview with Alastair Gordon on the artist’s attention which explores why the overlooked and everyday capture the creative gaze.

My 25th article was about Stanley Spencer’s seen and unseen world and the artist’s child-like sense of wonder as he saw heaven everywhere.

My 26th article was entitled 'The biblical undercurrent that the Bob Dylan biopics missed' and in it I argue that the best of Dylan’s work is a contemporary Pilgrim, Dante or Rimbaud on a compassionate journey.

My 27th article was entitled 'Heading Home: a pilgrimage that breaks out beauty along the way' and focuses on a film called 'Heading Home' which explores how we can learn a new language together as we travel.

My 28th article was entitled 'Annie Caldwell: “My family is my band”' and showcased a force of nature voice that comes from the soul.

My 29th article was entitled 'Why sculpt the face of Christ?' and explored how, in Nic Fiddian Green’s work, we feel pain, strength, fear and wisdom.

My 30th article was entitled 'How Mumford and friends explore life's instability' and explored how Mumford and Sons, together with similar bands, commune on fallibility, fear, grace, and love.

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Iain Archer - The Acrobet.

Antoni Gaudí: The Venerable mystic master of Catalan Modernism

The Vatican recently announced that the mystic master of Catalan Modernism, Antoni Gaudí, long known as “God’s architect,” has officially been declared Venerable by the late Pope Francis, the first formal recognition of his “heroic virtues” by the Catholic Church. This decree nudges the visionary designer of Barcelona’s Sagrada Família closer to sainthood—a campaign in the making for over two decades.

Following a visit to Barcelona to see many of Gaudí's buildings, I wrote two pieces for ArtWay about him. See here and here:

"Gaudí is the great sculptor who utilises natural form in his work both for utilitarian and aesthetic reasons. He described nature as ‘the Great Book, always open, that we should force ourselves to read’ and, as [Robert] Hughes recognised, thought that ‘everything structural or ornamental that an architect might imagine was already prefigured in natural form, in limestone grottoes or dry bones, in a beetle's shining wing case or the thrust of an ancient olive trunk.’

As a result first and overall impressions of his work are ones of exuberance and abundance characterised by the sinuous, sensuous curves and colours of his works. Whether we are encountering the shifting sea-like blues of the Casa Batlló, the abstract collage of the wave-like trencadis bench at Park Güell or the whirlpool-like undulations on the ceiling at Casa Milà, Gaudí's work possesses an ecstatic sense of natural beauty."

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The Oh Hello's - Soldier, Poet, King.

Seen and Unseen: Heading Home: a pilgrimage that breaks out beauty along the way

My latest article for Seen and Unseen is entitled 'Heading Home: a pilgrimage that breaks out beauty along the way'. The article focuses on a film called 'Heading Home' which explores how we can learn a new language together as we travel:

'The aim of all these initiatives is, as Ahmanson explains, what has always been the aim; “to serve this world to make it more like the heavenly home” where our ultimate citizenship lies, and to do so by “creating beauty in buildings and art and music and serving the suffering and those in all kinds of need”. The aim of all these initiatives is, as Ahmanson explains, what has always been the aim; “to serve this world to make it more like the heavenly home” where our ultimate citizenship lies, and to do so by “creating beauty in buildings and art and music and serving the suffering and those in all kinds of need”.'

For more on 'Heading Home', see my interview for ArtWay with Roberta Ahmanson, Siobhán Jolley and Ben Quash.

My first article for Seen and Unseen was 'Life is more important than art' which reviews the themes of recent art exhibitions that tackle life’s big questions and the roles creators take.

My second article 'Corinne Bailey Rae’s energised and anguished creative journey' explores inspirations in Detroit, Leeds and Ethiopia for Corinne Bailey Rae’s latest album, Black Rainbows, which is an atlas of capacious faith.

My third article was an interview with musician and priest Rev Simpkins in which we discussed how music is an expression of humanity and his faith.

My fourth article was a guide to the Christmas season’s art, past and present. Traditionally at this time of year “great art comes tumbling through your letterbox” so, in this article, I explore the historic and contemporary art of Christmas.

My fifth article was 'Finding the human amid the wreckage of migration'. In this article I interviewed Shezad Dawood about his multimedia Leviathan exhibition at Salisbury Cathedral where personal objects recovered from ocean depths tell a story of modern and ancient migrations.

My sixth article was 'The visionary artists finding heaven down here' in which I explored a tradition of visionary artists whose works shed light on the material and spiritual worlds.

My seventh article was 'How the incomer’s eye sees identity' in which I explain how curating an exhibition for Ben Uri Online gave me the chance to highlight synergies between ancient texts and current issues.

My eighth article was 'Infernal rebellion and the questions it asks' in which I interview the author Nicholas Papadopulos about his book The Infernal Word: Notes from a Rebel Angel.

My ninth article was 'A day, night and dawn with Nick Cave’s lyrics' in which I review Adam Steiner’s Darker With The Dawn — Nick Cave’s Songs Of Love And Death and explore whether Steiner's rappel into Cave’s art helps us understand its purpose.

My 10th article was 'Theresa Lola's poetical hope' about the death-haunted yet lyrical, joyful and moving poet for a new generation.

My 11th article was 'How to look at our world: Aaron Rosen interview', exploring themes from Rosen's book 'What Would Jesus See: Ways of Looking at a Disorienting World'.

My 12th article was 'Blake, imagination and the insight of God', exploring a new exhibition - 'William Blake's Universe at the Fitzwilliam Museum - which focuses on seekers of spiritual regeneration and national revival.

My 13th article 'Matthew Krishanu: painting childhood' was an interview with Matthew Krishanu on his exhibition 'The Bough Breaks' at Camden Art Centre.

My 14th article was entitled 'Art makes life worth living' and explored why society, and churches, need the Arts.

My 15th article was entitled 'The collective effervescence of sport's congregation' and explored some of the ways in which sport and religion have been intimately entwined throughout history

My 16th article was entitled 'Paradise cottage: Milton reimagin’d' and reviewed the ways in which artist Richard Kenton Webb is conversing with the blind poet in his former home (Milton's Cottage, Chalfont St Giles).

My 17th article was entitled 'Controversial art: how can the critic love their neighbour?'. It makes suggestions of what to do when confronted with contentious culture.

My 18th article was an interview entitled 'Art, AI and apocalypse: Michael Takeo Magruder addresses our fears and questions'. In the interview the digital artist talks about the possibilities and challenges of artificial intelligence.

My 19th article was entitled 'Dark, sweet and subtle: recovered music orientates us'. In the article I highlight alt-folk music seeking inspiration from forgotten hymns.

My 20th article was entitled 'Revisiting Amazing Grace inspires new songs'. In the article I highlight folk musicians capturing both the barbaric and the beautiful in the hymn Amazing Grace and Christianity's entanglement with the transatlantic slave trade more generally.

My 21st article was entitled 'James MacMillan’s music of tranquility and discord'. In the article I noted that the composer’s music contends both the secular and sacred.

My 22nd article was a book review on Nobody's Empire by Stuart Murdoch. 'Nobody's Empire: A Novel is the fictionalised account of how ... Murdoch, lead singer of indie band Belle and Sebastian, transfigured his experience of Myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME) through faith and music.'

My 23rd article was entitled 'Rock ‘n’ roll’s long dance with religion'. The article explores how popular music conjures sacred space.

My 24th article was an interview with Alastair Gordon on the artist’s attention which explores why the overlooked and everyday capture the creative gaze.

My 25th article was about Stanley Spencer’s seen and unseen world and the artist’s child-like sense of wonder as he saw heaven everywhere.

My 26th article was entitled 'The biblical undercurrent that the Bob Dylan biopics missed' and in it I argue that the best of Dylan’s work is a contemporary Pilgrim, Dante or Rimbaud on a compassionate journey.

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Josh Garells - Farther Along.

78 Derngate: The Charles Rennie Mackintosh House

Designed and remodelled by Charles Rennie Mackintosh in 1916, 78 Derngate has been meticulously restored and opened to the public. Though 78 Derngate is but a small terraced house in the English midlands it has been the subject of much comment over the years. Its remodelling by Charles Rennie Mackintosh in 1916 -17 created something that has fascinated people for a century.

78 Derngate was the architect's final major commission; his visionary patron, Northampton model engineer, W.J Bassett-Lowke. It is the only place outside Scotland in which Mackintosh's mature architectural and interior style can be seen in their original setting. Purchased for Bassett-Lowke by his father as a wedding present, the house had originally been constructed 100 years previously and was a typical early-nineteenth century brick terrace, built c. 1815-20.

In March 1917 Bassett-Lowke and his bride Florence Jones moved in. Over the previous nine months the house had been transformed from a rather pokey and old-fashioned house into a modern and convenient home. One of the most significant features was the addition of a rectangular extension at the rear, enlarging the kitchen and the dining room above, and forming an enclosed balcony for the master bedroom and an open one for the guest bedroom.

The transformation had been achieved by Bassett-Lowke with the help of Northampton-based architect Alexander Ellis Anderson and Charles Rennie Mackintosh. There are still some areas of uncertainty as to who was responsible for what, although the over-all effect was created by Mackintosh.

The primary documentary evidence consists of plans submitted for building regulation in June 1916; a number of drawings and plans by Mackintosh; six letters from Bassett-Lowke to Mackintosh, 1916-1919; some notes which Bassett-Lowke wrote later in life and correspondence he had with Thomas Howarth, Mackintosh’ biographer in the late 1940s; numerous black and white photographs taken by Bassett-Lowke. There were also a number of contemporary articles published about the transformation. Copies of all these documents, articles and photographs are in the 78 Derngate Archive. From these sources, it would seem that in the late spring of 1916 Bassett-Lowke had his eye on this house, conveniently close to his work in Kingswell Street, relatively cheap, being a hundred years old, but in a street that was seeing something of a revival.

A number of neighbouring houses had recently been improved, including number 70, ‘Sarnia’, by his friend, the architect Keighley Cobb. Possibly in consultation with Cobb, Bassett-Lowke got plans drawn up by a Scottish architect long resident in Northampton, Alexander Ellis Anderson. These plans were submitted to the Planning Authority on 1 June 1916. They show a flat-roofed bay extension at the front, and a two story flat-roofed extension at the back. They also show the staircase moved around through 90 degrees.

Around this time Bassett-Lowke was introduced to Mackintosh – in a later note he says that he cannot remember who introduced them ‘a friend in connection with the Glasgow School of Art’ (quite possibly Francis Newbery, Headmaster of the School). By 31 July 1916, in the first surviving letter to Mackintosh, he is thanking him for ‘the drawings’, and saying that he has taken possession of the house that day (the deed was drawn up on 1 July). Although Bassett-Lowke told Howarth in 1946 that the structural alterations were already taking place when he met Mackintosh, it is possible that Mackintosh took the basic idea as shown in the Anderson plans, and suggested carrying the bay up the entire elevation, creating the veranda and balcony to the bedrooms.

It is the stunning interior décor which is Mackintosh’s real contribution to 78 Derngate. The majority of the Mackintosh drawings relate to the decoration of the lounge-hall and the dining room. There are also drawings of the front door and of furniture, some actually made and some not. The originals are in the Mackintosh Collection at the Hunterian Art Gallery, University of Glasgow.

In the early 1990s local people united with members of the Charles Rennie Mackintosh Society to campaign for its preservation, restoration and opening to the public. In 1998 the 78 Derngate Northampton Trust was formed. The Mackintosh-designed interior and exterior of 78 was sensitively restored and reinstated to the original 1916 – 1919 scheme. The whole of 80 Derngate was completely remodelled to create a new visitor centre and exhibition space. Linking the galleries is a new staircase that wraps around the 4-storey glass cabinet which holds a series of exhibits relating to both Mackintosh and Bassett-Lowke. It is accompanied by a wall-mounted exhibition relating to the original design of the house and to Bassett-Lowke’s business.

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The Revolutionary Army of the Infant Jesus - Bright Field.

Reflective Tour: St Mary's Runwell

St Mary’s Runwell: A reflective tour of its art and architecture

St Mary's is a magnificent mediaeval building which boasts an interesting and mixed history. The church is often described by both visitors and regular worshippers as a powerful sacred space to which they have been drawn. This powerful impact comes in part from the art and architecture in the space. This leaflet provides information about that aspect of the building and suggests reflections and prayers as you view the building and its artworks.

To find out more about St Mary's Runwell or to visit click here.

Art and architecture

The modern rood screen in the perpendicular style is by W.F. Unsworth (1909). The figure of Our Lord on the cross is suspended from a tie beam, west of the rood screen, is in memory of Paymaster Lieutenant John Rochester Graves, RNVR, who died in HMS Hood in 1941. The colouring of the screen at St Mary's and the murals the one pillar in the south aisle dates from the 1930s-1950s and was undertaken, by his sons, under the guidance of then Rector, Revd John Edward Bazille-Corbin to 'reproduce as closely as possible' the decoration of the medieval church.

The painting of St Peter and the crucifix below it were by Anthony Corbin and are 'restorations of medieval work which had been well and truly scraped out, but the traces of which could, at that date, still be faintly seen.' Two modern olive wood statues depict Our Lady and Our Lord, the latter given as a thank-offering for the remarkable survival and recovery of a son of Bazille-Corbin, from injuries received during service in the 1939-45 war. The statue of Our Lady was carved by a Carmelite Sister who had carved a similar statue for the Shrine Church in Walsingham.

The chancel is entirely perpendicular in style. The original fifteenth century East window with three trefoiled lights in four centred heads with a moulded hood, was reset in the east wall when the chancel was lengthened in 1907. A slim one-light cinque-foiled east window high over the chapel altar contains the only surviving fragments of medieval stained glass. The rest of the stained glass is modern and is entirely taken up with memorials to various members of the Kemble family with the exceptions of the east window of the chancel and the west window in the tower. This is in memory of the mother of the Rev. H.K. Harris, Rector 1891-1912. The figure of Gabriel, the Archangel, is in the west window.

A large painting of 'The Baptism of Our Lord' by Enid Chadwick of Walsingham was gifted to the church by Fr David John Silk Lloyd. Local woodworker David Garrard has crafted Stations of the Cross using the motif of the Runwell Cross (found originally on the Prioresses Tomb) which have been placed around the church. Garrard also built an altar for the side chapel together with an inscribed cross on the side chapel wall.

The south door ‘unusually wide and large’ has an original, fifteenth century oak door with original hinges and strapwork. The timber has a curious burn-like mark said to be the mark of the ‘Devil’s claw’. An interesting feature is the medieval scratched sundial on the west jamb of the doorway. The south chapel contains two original piscine and a squint.

Reflective tour

Inscribed cross: Reflect on your start in life, your own personal mortality, and the ways God has been present with you on your journey through life and will be with you into eternity.

Annunciation windows: Reflect on the possibilities that always exist for new beginnings and fresh opportunities in life. Pray that God will break into your life or those of others just as Gabriel suddenly appeared to Mary.

Nativity window: Reflect on Jesus moving into our neighbourhood. Pray for your neighbourhood that Christ may be recognised there.

‘The Baptism of Our Lord’: Reflect on your need for turning away from what is wrong in your life and finding new direction. Hear God speaking to you, as to Jesus, saying, “You are my beloved child.”

Statues of Our Lady: Reflect on Mary's lifelong commitment to God. Pray for inspiration from Our Lady and for your own commitment to be strengthened.

Peter (window and mural): Reflect on Peter’s courage and fallibility in walking on water and then sinking. Pray that you might be used by God, as Peter was, despite your own fallibilities.

Stations of the Cross: Reflect on the many ways in which people suffer throughout the world. Pray for people, countries and situations of which you know where people are suffering today.

Crucifixion: Reflect on Christ’s sacrifice of his life for you. Pray that you may know Christ through participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death.

Resurrection window: Reflect on the transformation that Jesus’ resurrection brought to the disciples. Pray for resurrection in any circumstances where things seem to have come to a dead end.

Devil's claw: Reflect on the ways in which evil manifests itself today. Pray that goodness may always be stronger than evil and love than hate.

Gabriel window: Reflect on the meaning of Gabriel’s name – “strength of God.” Ask that you might be strengthened by God and God’s angels in whatever challenges you currently face.

Prioress’s tomb: Reflect on the Runwell Cross, formed by four circles in a square; the instrument of our redemption set within a sign of the perfection of God. Pray that you might know God more fully in his divinity and his humanity.

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Walsingham Way - Hymns To The Virgin Mary.