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My introduction to the glory of stained glass began whilst visiting Canterbury Cathedral during my time at Canterbury College of Art, which was situated in view of this magnificent Gothic building. Entering the huge vaulted Nave and up into the Choir I was immediately overwhelmed by strength of colour of the windows; powerful flowing imagery and the scale of the series of figures depicting the genealogy of Christ beginning with the finest of all “Adam delving” (1170). This series of windows remain some of the finest examples of western medieval art – from that time I was hooked!
My creative development at Art School (Northampton School of Art and Canterbury College of Art) began through influences of teachers who introduced me particularly to European Art from the pre-Renaissance e.g. frescoes of Giotto and Cimabue. At that time I discovered one of the most moving self-portraits by Rembrandt on an early visit to the National Gallery. Art School also showed me American Abstract Expressionism – Rothko, Pollock, de Kooning; Post-Impressionism (Cezanne). Of course I could not leave out Picasso, Matisse and Chagall who were constants throughout the century, they have all contributed to my own creativity. Following graduation (Fine Art) I had the opportunity to join the Cathedral Studios and work on these great windows. I spent almost four years studying design; glass painting; the art and craft of this unique visual medium as well as the conservation of these 800-year-old masterpieces. An early memory is viewing the high level windows “up close” on scaffolding assisting Professor Madeline Caviness as she carried out her research on the stained glass windows for the CVMA volume on “The Windows of Christ Church, Canterbury” later published (1981). This was a huge learning experience, an insight into the quality of these great works and influential in my creative development at that time. The viewing of the glass was, of course, in the context of its part in the fabric of the building. The light source for this Great Church but also its texture, the impurities of blown glass, its kiln fired painted surface and the raw unpainted Caen stone – such harmony! |
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