Church Times - Art review: 12 Advent Stations (Chelmsford Cathedral)

My latest exhibition review for Church Times is on '12 Advent Stations' by Pansy Campbell, Mark Cazalet and Jim Leaf at Chelmsford Cathedral:

'TWELVE Advent Stations are composed of sonnets rendered calligraphically and read by actors, alongside paintings on assemblages formed by domestic utensils; they form a circular journey, the last word of each poem featuring in the first line of the next, echoing the annual repetition in the church calendar, of which Advent is the beginning; and they cover conception, John the Baptist, annunciation, Bethlehem, birth, shepherds, Magi, massacre, flight, return, Simeon and Anna, and Trinity.

These Stations — created by the artist Mark Cazalet, the calligrapher Pansy Campbell, and the poet Richard Leaf, all members of the congregation of St Martin’s, Kensal Rise, where the Stations were first shown — had their own conceptions in Leaf’s sonnets, which then found complementary expression in Cazalet’s art, Campbell’s calligraphy, and the actor’s readings.

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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St Martin's Voices - O Morning Star.

Trial and Tribulations: 'Archangel Mikhael Trampling the Devil Underfoot'

John Paul Barrett's 'Trials and Tribulations' exhibition at St Andrew's Wickford has been supplemented by a new work 'Archangel Mikhael Trampling the Devil Underfoot'.

Comments made thus far about this exhibition include:

• "Very beautiful and calming."
• "Very excellent, very different, very beautiful."
• "Fantastic exhibition. Thank you."
• "Simply stunning. You are a credit to Essex."

Barrett specialises in mixed media paintings, using acrylics and oil pastels on paintings that range from symbolism to landscapes and portraits. He creates texture, perspective, and sculptural effects by using acrylic paints mixed with an extra heavy medium gel applied with a palette knife and finished with a layer of oil pastel. His work is vivid, colourful and expressionistic.

This exhibition focuses on his modern interpretations of Eastern European religious iconography. Viewers will experience traditional religious imagery in a new light, and (re)connect with the spiritual aspect and values symbolised by pivotal Biblical events.

St Andrew’s is usually open: Sat 9am-12.30pm; Sun 9.30am-12 noon; Mon 2-3.45pm; Tue 1-4.30pm; Wed 10am-12 noon; Fri 10am-1pm. See https://wickfordandrunwellparish.org.uk/whats-on.html for more information.

Visitors can also see an archive display on 'Sounds of Basildon' - featuring musicians from the Borough of Basildon - created by Basildon Heritage and a pair of assemblages from Tim Harrold. The Centurion assemblages use a mixture of found objects, paint, and printed and handwritten material sitting in old drawers from a German chest of drawers. The assemblages show the kingdom of God invading representatives of the empire of man: his universe is forever changed, his personal history eternally turned. Tim Harrold has shown his assemblages – which he describes as visual parables in dioramic form – in a number of exhibitions, including at St Catherine's Wickford. He is also a poet, writer, photographer, filmmaker and itinerant speaker.

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Martyn Joseph - Everything In Heaven.

Trials and Tribulations: Modern Interpretations of Iconography'

The latest exhibition at St Andrew’s Church in Wickford is 'Trials and Tribulations: Modern Interpretations of Iconography' by John Paul Barrett.

Barrett specialises in mixed media paintings, using acrylics and oil pastels on paintings that range from symbolism to landscapes and portraits. He creates texture, perspective, and sculptural effects by using acrylic paints mixed with an extra heavy medium gel applied with a palette knife and finished with a layer of oil pastel. His work is vivid, colourful and expressionistic.

This exhibition focuses on his modern interpretations of Eastern European religious iconography. Viewers will experience traditional religious imagery in a new light, and (re)connect with the spiritual aspect and values symbolised by pivotal Biblical events.

St Andrew’s is usually open: Sat 9am-12.30pm; Sun 9.30am-12 noon; Mon 2-3.45pm; Tue 1-4.30pm; Wed 10am-12 noon; Fri 10am-1pm. See https://wickfordandrunwellparish.org.uk/whats-on.html for more information.

All are welcome to a special exhibition viewing evening on Friday 13 September (7.00 pm) at St Andrew's when you can meet John-Paul Barrett, see his exhibition and hear him speak about his work.

Visitors can also see an archive display on Wickford's churches created by Basildon Heritage and a pair of assemblages from Tim Harrold. The Centurion assemblages use a mixture of found objects, paint, and printed and handwritten material sitting in old drawers from a German chest of drawers. The assemblages show the kingdom of God invading representatives of the empire of man: his universe is forever changed, his personal history eternally turned. Tim Harrold has shown his assemblages – which he describes as visual parables in dioramic form – in a number of exhibitions, including at St Catherine's Wickford. He is also a poet, writer, photographer, filmmaker and itinerant speaker.

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Lee Bozeman - Make Me A Blessing.

Mind Changelings

Tim Harrold and John Espin will be exhibiting at St Catherine’s Church (Princess Margaret Avenue, East Tilbury RM18 8PB) from 15 – 30 July (3-7pm daily), as part of the Thurrock Art Trail and Essex Summer of Art. Their exhibition is entitled ‘Mind Changelings’.

Tim is an expressive arts graduate with performance art experience gained at Brighton Polytechnic from 1982-5. He has worked as an art tutor in both secondary and further education, and as a community and youth worker using creativity in contemplative installations.

Tim creates assemblage and photomontage by intentionally arranging found objects and words from a variety of sources into serendipitous tableaux. New metaphysical narratives emerge; playful perceptual parables appear; and re-imagined worlds on rediscovered natural materials or in recycled boxes full of unlikely juxtapositions hint at hidden realities.

He says, ‘My work is parabolic and numinous; where the conceptual meets the spiritual there is the “perceptual”.’

John was born in the mining village of Rossington in South Yorkshire. He moved with his family to Essex in the 1960's. On leaving state education he worked in an advertising studio in Central London. He was disillusioned with the advertising world and obtained a place on a foundation course in art in Thurrock, Essex and went on to obtain a fine arts degree at Maidstone College of Art.

He says, 'My work exists somewhere between painting and sculpture, despite being wall-mounted and marked with colour. Anything can be a starting point – an object, a word, found printed images or text, a photograph...'

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Jimi Hendrix - Angel.

Tim Harrold: Perceptualism

Tim Harrold is an expressive arts graduate with performance art experience gained at Brighton Polytechnic from 1982-5. He has worked as an art tutor in both secondary and further education, and as a community and youth worker using creativity in contemplative installations.

Tim creates assemblage and photomontage by intentionally arranging found objects and words from a variety of sources into serendipitous tableaux. New metaphysical narratives emerge; playful perceptual parables appear; and re-imagined worlds on rediscovered natural materials or in recycled boxes full of unlikely juxtapositions hint at hidden realities.

Tim writes, ‘My work is parabolic and numinous; where the conceptual meets the spiritual there is the “perceptual”.’

Perceptualism – a solo show in Sheffield at 35 Chapel Walk from 2 – 16 April, will be the largest Tim has held outside of south west Essex and London. It will include an installation of his 70 Endeavour poems – each set to music by musician friends – and film by his filmmaker son Jonathan.

In my review of an exhibition by Tim at the Well House Gallery last year I wrote that: 'Perceptualism involves re-combining and reconciling the disparate and disconnected, and Harrold sees this creative action as mirroring God’s love expressed in both creation and salvation. His series of ten photomontages, where fragments of maps are collaged within a heart-shaped mount to which texts of love have been added, is one expression of this perception.'

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Jonathan Harrold - The Artists At High House.

Review: The Perceptualist Eye & Well House Gallery

My latest review for Church Times is of The Perceptualist Eye by Tim Harrold at the Well House Gallery:

"Tim Harrold has an eye for the lost. Like Joseph Cornell, who loved to roam Manhattan’s dime stores in search of antique books, postcards, and small objects, amassing a vast collection of treasured finds that became the raw materials for his assemblages, Harrold also works with “found” objects, collecting disparate and discarded objects before combining them in boxes and frames to create 3D tableaux.

His perception is that the finding and restoring of lost objects by giving new life and fresh context is symbolic of a lost sheep being found by the Good Shepherd."

I also note that:

"The vision of Well House as a gallery that champions artists, and connects creative people in the area, developed from four years of running exhibitions linked to 24/7 prayer communities, and demonstrates what can be achieved when artists and entrepreneurs who are Christians engage constructively with creatives in their communities and regions."

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Iona - Wind, Water & Fire.

The Perceptualist Eye at Well House Gallery

Last night I visited the Well House Gallery at Horndon-on-the-Hill to see The Perceptualist Eye by Tim Harrold. This exhibition can be seen until 10 June.

The Well House Gallery is a friendly and vibrant art gallery championing artists and connecting creative people, which has developed from the running of ‘24-7 Create’ exhibitions by the 24-7 Prayer Boiler Room Community.

Tim defines 'Perceptualism' as 'the place where the conceptual and the metaphysical meet', and comes from the word 'perceive'. 'The Perceptualist Eye' is therefore about a way of seeing, a worldview, a certain perspective. Informed by his Christian Faith and inspired by his pilgrimage through life with Jesus, many of Tim's pieces are in some way 'prophocative' 'visual parables'.

Working mostly with mixed media, Tim brings together 'found objects' and rearranges them into new contexts, scenes and stories. Tim often incorporates words in the images he creates. This reflects his loves of graphic design and writing, especially 'found poetry'.

The Well House Gallery sits across the street from The Swan with its community art gallery in which Revd Max Blake, Associate Priest in the United Benefice of Orsett, Bulphan and Horndon-on-the-Hill, has just finished showing his visionary drawings of the Life of Christ.

Thurrock is a place of industry and transport. Visually it has little connection with the Essex of John Constable with his idyllic rural scenes of hay carts and country folk. What Thurrock does have is striking industrial architecture and the busy River Thames with its factories and ports visited by ships from all corners of the World. The people of Thurrock regard themselves as gritty realists. Thurrock doesn’t shout about its art. Yet the Thurrock Art Trail, with which the Well House Gallery and Tim Harrold are deeply involved, demonstrates that the area hosts many and varied artists.

In 2012 four local artists sought to raise the public profile of the arts in Thurrock by organising an Art Trail under the aegis of Essex Summer of Art. Their work was shown in various locations round the Borough. Thurrock Art Trail has now matured and is no longer a showcase of the small number of artists organising the event. It is now a framework that sets the dates and co-ordinates publicity to allow solo artists or collaborative groups to present their own exhibitions at venues of their own choosing.
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Iona - The Ancient Wells.