oo0o0o

Jesus dies on the cross - Doug Jaques

Just found this artist and love it! Felt I needed to share right away!Hope you like it. I will try return soon with more information and hopefully will have researched into Doug Jaques and his work...enjoy

its me again...

Christ of St. John of the Cross
Salvador Dali, 1951

After seeing the 'stations at the cross' exhibition, I attempted to search the internet for images of Jim Latter's work. I was unable able to find many, but I found a lot of sites relating to exhibitions called 'station of/at the cross' . I've attempted to research into Christian artists before but always had very little success, or I was excited at the prospect of finding a new link to the Christian art world!

So here I am to inform you of my findings. I've put on a Christian mix CD, might as well get into the right mood, and sat comfortable so here goes...

After Jesus died many people started to go Jerusalem to follow the final foot steps of Jesus. These roads became known as Via Dolorosa, the way of pain, and to this day are called that that. The stations of/at the cross allows people to reflect on Jesus' journey and his love for us. It seems to be a strong part of the Catholic faith, and many statues, paintings etc have been created to depict specific points of the journey for reflection and meditation. Nearly every Catholic church will have a representation of the stations of the cross. Topically there are fourteen stages, although some include a fifteenth. The exhibition I visited contained fifteen paintings. The stages are:

1. Christ condemned to death;
2. The cross is laid upon him;
3. His first fall;
4. Jesus meets his Mother;
5. Simon of Cyrene helped him the cross;
6. Christ's face is wiped by Veronica;
7. He falls for the second time;
8. He meets a crying women of Jerusalem;
9. His third fall;

10. His clothes are removed;
11. He is nailed to the cross
12. Jesus dies on the cross;
13. His body is taken down from the cross; and
14. laid in the tomb.

15. Jesus is risen!

http://www.cptryon.org/prayer/child/stations/index.html

The link is to a site the explains each step, its a little cheesey and designed for children but the explanations are good.

I've found many different interpretations, Jim Latter's being the first of course! All ranging in different styles from different countries as well as centuries.

Christ is stripped of his garments

http://www.mainchance.org/upward/read/december2002/stations.html

One of my favourite interpretations is a community project called 14 stations, which took place in 2002 in New York. It was a collaboration between a freelance photographer and Interfaith on Homelessness and Housing (IAHH), which is located at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine. The IAHH group choose to take the less topical depiction of the stations of the cross, and choose to enact each scene drawing on their personal experiences of life living on the streets. Each station uses a different male or female member to represent Jesus. The image above is one of the stations. They are all black and white photographs. I've always admired black and white photography, I guess it has a stronger sense of importance, almost historical, and allows your imagination to be creative as you have no concept of colour. It also allows there to be a greater variety of depth and tone. I feel some of the images as stronger than others, I really like the last five images. I think its the fact that they could be real life images and be anywhere, which would be powerful on their own, but combined together and given the heading of the stations of the cross adds to the impact. God is everywhere and part of our daily lives, even though Jesus was alive more than 2000 yrs ago, his life is still relevant to todays society. I also like how the fourteenth station is a portrait of everyone in the group, not only does it use who they all are, but for me its a reminder that Jesus defeated death and is alive! He is with in us!

Station 2: Jesus Prays in the Garden- Oil on Canvas by Dorothy Walker

'I have tried to portray the anguish of Jesus felt in facing death and separation from God and the weight of self inflicted human grief that he bore. I can't come close to achieving this but have in some way come a little closer to understanding his suffering myself'

This is another image I found whilst searching. I like the use of colour, the Jesus is struggling with the darkness but still has light reflecting from his skin. I am a little puzzled to why the artist choose to paint him naked in the garden. Perhaps is in relation to the fact he is being striped bare of everything, and levenerableble.

http://www.tcweb.co.uk/stationsofthecross/

'The Journey' -Station 15, The Resurrection

by Penny Warden

I added this image as its an example of the fifteenth station which most of the other websitI've've linked do not include, but I feel this station is important, if not possibly the most important. But that comes down to my faith whether than art. I believe that its important that the resurrection is shown, because thats the whole point to thEasterter' story, he died for our sins so we could have eternal life, but thats not possible unless he rose from the dead. I feel some dominations of Christianity skip over that part. I find it interesting that Penny Warden choose to use a grey scale, I think I probably would have gone for bright eye catching colours so show the importance of his actions, but I guess its the action its self that should be focused on and not the colour of it. I love the movement in the paintings, and the sense he's human, but theres something else to him, something spiritual and not solid.

ooooo Religion!

'Stations of the Cross' Jim Latter

http://www.stmarylebow.co.uk/?Home

My mind is all over the place at the moment, and I guess its having an affect on my work or vise versa. I seem to keep drifting onto to different projects, so I now have many started projects. Whilst looking through the New Exhibition website (link at the side!) I discovered a link to a small exhibition within a church. The exhibition doesn't have much relevance to my current but I am always interested in discovering Christian artists, and as its lent I felt it would be prefect.

So last week I went to see the exhibition at St Mary Le-Bow Church, which is close to St Pauls Cathedral. The exhibition is called 'Stations of the Cross' by Jim Latter. It consists of 15 paintings which take a contemporary look at Jesus' journey to cross. The paintings are hung on typical church noticeboards, which were placed around the church. It was a simple exhibition but it suited the subject matter. The work was more concerned with the meaning behind it, than presenting it on the pristine whitewashed walls within an art gallery. For me the purple church noticeboards added to the impact of the work, as it reminded me of church back home. This combined with the silent stillness added to the peaceful atmosphere within the church, which allowed you to feel free and at ease. Each painting consisted of a strong thick cross that dominated a square of colour, which occasionally contained a slight pattern. Underneath each cross was written in pencil the station of the Cross. The exhibition will remain in the church during lent.

Whilst within the church my attention was caught by the contemporary crucifix above the altar. St Mary le Bow Church, Cheapside London, was founded in Norman times. The church has been destroyed on several occasions but it has always been rebuilt, and remains a beautiful historical building, with a few modern influences contained within. An example of this is the image above, the comtempory crucifix which fascinates me. The scultpure takes the familar structure of Jesus on the cross, but has removed any physical representations of the actual cross, allowing the viewer imagine it. The sculpture is constructed of bend metal, with the centre hollow, and the surface incomplete, and has a wirey thorn crown above his head. I was not expecting to see such a modern image of Jesus within such a historical church, this may be why it had such an effect on me. The way the metals folded allowing the reflective shiny side to be on the outside suggests God's light shining out, with our sins being defeated and send/remaining in darkness within him, as he defeats death and allows us to have eternal life. I guess you could say the metal may also be representative of God's protective armour, having greater power and strength but modeled and shaped into the flesh of human form. The only information I've been able to gain about the crucifix is: ' The crucifix before which the Priest celebrates the Eucharist, the central act of Christian worship' (from the 'a guided tour' leaflet) which doesn't exactly explain a lot! I wish to go back to the church and possibly do a few sketches of the crucifix and hopefully find someone within the church to ask more about it.

monkeys!

Well...time seems to be flying by, and a lot has been happening. I've started my art in the community practice module, which involves at placement at a local college working with students with special needs. We're currently joining in with their art sessions, which will lead to us organizing a workshop for the students to take part in. We will also be going on a gallery visit. It felt so great to finally be out of the studio and my room, and out into the public, working with REAL people! The group is small, but but they all seem very friendly, and are all extremely individual! I'm looking forward to getting to know the students better.
We decided to go visit the chosen gallery, Tate Britain, to plan ahead and see if there was anything in particular we wanted to show the students. The tutor suggested we could go to see the Tate Triennial 2006 exhibition. This was a varied exhibition, with a varied of work from new British artists. I've just realized that I got so absorbed in focusing whether the art work would be suitable for the students and in finding the different rooms around the gallery, that I forgot to take notes on the artists I liked and hated! I'll have to go back and have a second look. There were a few pieces I enjoyed, but really disliked the fact there were pornographic and slighty disturbing images spread through out the exhibition. The worst was in a side room with warnings, so that was ok in the sense it could be avoided, but one of the larger paintings within the main exhibition space was of a similar nature. I guess the style and what the artist was attempting to express about the dullness of ordinary life was interesting, but in the relation to taking the students or young children to the exhibition it makes it difficult and challenging. I know art is meant to provoke reaction and isn't always pleasing, but where do you draw the line between porn and art?!

Chris OfiliThe Upper Room 1999-2002

During our visit we also looked at the Upper Room exhibition by Chris O'fili. I have seen a few pieces of his work before, and love the depth involved in his work. Chris O'fili uses lays of build up the image, and often has hidden images with in the work. A great example of this is 'No Woman, No Cry' which was a tribute to the murdered teenager, Stephen Lawrence. On close examination his portrait can be seen in the tear drops of the woman, and within the first layer Chris O'fili painted the words 'Rest in peace Stephen Lawrence' and his dates. Chris O'fili uses a variety of material and sources to influence his work, from photography to the bible, and includes references of different cultures. The enter 'The Upper Room' you are led through a wooden passage with the only light source coming from slits along the bottom of the wall. This instantly sets the mood and atmopshere for the paintings. With in the room there was thirteen large paintings, with the largest at the end of the room. They are all identical in respect that the image is of a monkey with the painting set on top of two pieces of elephant dung, but each painting varies in the colours used. The canvases are said to represent the twelve Apostles, and the larger monkey being symbolic of Jesus. The spot lights used in the celling and the room being covered in wood, helps to create a peaceful environment almost similar to a chapel, adding to the suggestive nature of the paintings. The exhibition is a little difficult to find with in the Tate Britain, but its real worth a visit, and its free!