Between: kemp

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Saturday, 3 September 2022

Artlyst - Spiritual Joseph Beuys Plus More: September Diary

My latest diary piece for A rtlyst has mentions of Joseph Beuys, Mathias Goeritz, Wallace Berman, David Miller, Idris Murphy, Colin McCahon, Yvette Coppersmith, Roger Kemp and Vasily Kandinsky:

‘Telushkin concludes by sharing a portion of a letter written by Kandinsky in 1913 where he “mused about the similar avenues of rupture and rebirth that religion and art offer”:

“Art in many respects resembles religion. Its development consists not of new discoveries that obliterate old truths and stamp them as false (as is apparently the case in science). Its development consists in moments of sudden illumination, resembling a flash of lightning, of explosions that burst in the sky like fireworks, scattering a whole ‘bouquet’ of different colored stars around them. This illumination reveals with blinding clarity new perspectives … the continuing growth of earlier wisdom, which is not canceled out by the latter, but remains living and productive as truth and as wisdom. Christ, in his own words, came not to overthrow the old law, [but] he transformed the old material law into his own spiritual law. In this way, I have since come to conceive of nonobjective painting not as a negation of all previous art. I have always been put out by assertions that I intended to overthrow the old tradition of such painting.”

Kandinsky’s argument regarding the synergies between developments in religion and those in art might just be a thread connecting all those artists and movements that have been considered in this piece.'

See here for my review of David Miller's 'Some Other Shadows'.

My other pieces for Artlyst are:

Interviews -

Articles -

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David Miller and SpiritWORK - Voice.

Saturday, 8 April 2017

'Transformation' at the Bank

Artist Terrence Ffyffe presents a series of spectacular new ‘Cosmic’ paintings alongside a number of large dramatic religious works depicting the Passion of Christ, at St Stephen Walbrook, (by Bank Station) EC4N 8BN, from 15th May-9th June 2017.

As with his highly successful first show of ‘Cosmic’ paintings ‘Painting the Light’ in 2016, this exhibition entitled ‘Transformation’ brings the worlds of Quantum physics, Mathematics and Mystical Spirituality together in a new series of stunningly beautiful oil paintings. From his daily practise of meditation, which he describes as ‘a space journey to the source’, the lights, colours and shapes he sees mirror the images of Galaxies and Nebulas from the Hubble Telescope and the hidden world of atoms, cells and amoebas as revealed through the Electron Microscope. Ffyffe says “The amazing bio morphic patterns seen at all levels in nature demonstrate the oneness of all creation”. Terrence has found a way to create the patterns as blueprints and then with his skills as a figurative painter develop them into sumptuous paintings revealing a new form of beauty and a new vision of reality.

The exhibition coincides with the Feast of Pentecost, celebrating the ‘Descent of the Holy Spirit on the Apostles’, an event that transformed them from cowering in fear to boldly proclaiming the “Good News”.

Ffyffe formerly a figurative painter in the classic tradition had a “transformation” experience himself and is now firmly established in his new direction of depicting the beauty of the hidden world of nature and the inner world of the mind”. The exhibition brings together the last works that Ffyffe was working on before this profound change. He says, ”The early paintings are about the Historical Jesus and the New Paintings are about the Holy Spirit”.

Terrance Ffyffe is a visionary artist and as the eminent art critic Edward Lucie-Smith wrote on seeing the New Works for the first time “Wow!”: "Every now and then even a hardened old lag in the art business - yes folks, I mean me - gets a nice surprise … Terry Ffyffe asked me to come and look at a new series of paintings … and my reaction was 'Wow!' … These were whirling, dynamic abstract designs - a total break with anything major of his that I had encountered previously”.

Terrence Ffyffe says: “Art should inspire the viewer, ideally raise the consciousness and elevate the mind to think of higher things like the beauty and mystery of the natural world, to contemplate the deep questions as to purpose and meaning, like ‘What is the origin of this life? What is Reality? Questions that have no easy answer but require a personal journey of developing awareness.”

Terrence Ffyffe was born in Melbourne, Australia. He studied at Swineburne University under Jeffrey Makin and Roger Kemp. After living the bohemian life of a painter in Carlton, extensive travels in the Australian Outback and several solo shows he came to England to study the “Old Masters” of European Painting at first hand. Unknown in the UK he painted portraits to support himself while he developed his uniquely expressive style. He eventually came to the attention of the art critics Edward Lucie-Smith and the late Daniel Farson, who introduced him to the “London School” and the world of Francis Bacon. He has won a number of National Competitions including the Discerning Eye. David Lee, the fierce art critic and editor of the Jackdaw has said “Terrence Ffyffe will in time prove to be a Great Painter”.

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Carolyn Arends - Seize The Day.

Thursday, 12 April 2012

A most interesting period of British stained glass

St John's Seven Kings is mentioned in a new Wikipedia entry for the artist Louis B. Davis. Davis designed the Nativity window at St John's, originally located in our baptistry and now part of our sanctuary.

The new entry has been compiled by researcher Gordon Lawson as part of his research into the work of Christopher Whall and his followers. Lawson started with Whall himself:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christopher_Whall

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_works_by_Christopher_Whall

This led him to Whall's daughter, Veronica:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Veronica_Whall

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_works_of_Veronica_Whall

He then moved to Edward Woore, Margaret Chilton and Marjorie Kemp and Karl Parsons:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Woore

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Works_by_Edward_Woore

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_works_by_Margaret_Chilton

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_works_by_Marjorie_Kemp

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karl_Parsons

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Works_of_Karl_Parsons

He plans similar works on Caroline Townsend Mary Hutchinson, Arnold Robinson, Paul Woodroffe and a few others so that when he has finished he will have set out a reasonable source of research information on a most interesting period of British Stained Glass.

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Florence and the Machine - No Light, No Light.

Friday, 1 February 2008

Biblical Art: An International A-Z - Part 1

Art histories rarely focus on modern sacred or religious art, giving the impression that the visual arts in the twentieth century were predominantly secular. This represents a Western view of art history which can itself be challenged and which completely overlooks the significant development of Biblical Art in Asia and Africa throughout this period and on into the contemporary scene. The following A-Z attempts to provide a brief sample of some of the artists and organisations that create and support Biblical Art in Asia and Africa:

Asian Christian Art Association (ACAA): Founded in 1978 to encourage the visual arts in Asian churches. ACAA has raised the profile of Asian Christian Art through conferences, exhibitions, publications, a magazine (Image) and a website. Christian Art in Asia, The Bible through Asian eyes and Christ for all people are each showcases for the art and artists that ACAA support.

The Blake Prize for Religious Art: an Australian art prize, named after William Blake, established in 1949 as an incentive to raise the standard of contemporary religious art. Justin O’Brien was the first winner, Eric Smith has been a seven times winner and other multiple winners include: John Coburn; Leonard French; George Gittoes; Roger Kemp; Rodney Milgate; Desiderius Orban and David Voigt.

Antoine Camilleri (1922 – 2005): an innovative Maltese artist who worked in a wide variety of media. He said that, “to succeed in painting one must always experiment and create new methods and designs.” In several works, such as Christ conquered the cross and his stained glass at the Augustinian Church at Tarxien, he succeeded in combining the significance of the crucifixion with that of the resurrection.

Ivo Dulčić (1916 – 1975): Croatian colourist whose paintings, murals and stained glass feature in Croatia’s churches, monasteries and museums. Dulčić was part of a trio of painters (with Đuro Pulitika and Antun Masle) in his native Dubrovnik.

Each with his own brush: Written in 1938 by Revd. Daniel Johnson Fleming, this book was the first extensive attempt to bring together examples of Christian Art from Asia and Africa. Among the artists featured are Luke Ch’en, Lu Hung Nien, and Alfred D. Thomas. Fleming wrote two other books on similar themes; Heritage of Beauty and Christian Symbols in a World Community.

Furen: A Chinese Christian school of painting which arose in Beijing between the two world wars at the Catholic University, but which lasted only until 1949. The Chinese Ministry of Education recognized it under the name Furen, a phrase found in the Analects of Confucius which can be translated as "promotion of righteousness." Luke Ch’en, a professor in the Art Department of the University, was the main proponent of this style. Ch’en educated and trained a group of Christian artists including Lu Hung Nien and Wang Su Da.

Gota Rochisuma Associates: a group of sculptors who work from Silviera House, a Catholic educational centre outside of Harare, Zimbabwe. Andrew Mabanji explains that the group "use as our theme the explosion of negative silence, the voice of the voiceless. As members of the Shona tribe we want to release from the stone the hidden strengths of indigenous Shona culture."

Ralph Hotere (b. 1931): a Maori artist of great originality whose origins in a small Maori Catholic community provided him with a magnificent resource from which he has continued to draw inspiration. The Stations of the Cross, the Sacred Heart and the Requiem all occur within the imagery he uses with ingenuity and emotion.

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Paul Simon, Ladysmith Black Mambazo et al - Township Jive.