I’m visiting Worcester at the moment with the primary objective of a meeting tomorrow with the Cathedral staff, in order to plan my exhibition in February. We decided that we would attend a service there this morning in order to get a sense of the place. It was interesting for a variety of reasons.
The ancient church itself if almost overwhelming as an architectural object, growing to its present state since the twelfth century. At first I felt rather intimidated by the thought that my work is to be hosted there. After the service, however, we had coffee with the congregation, and had the opportunity to take a rather more informal look at the place.
The chapel in which my pictures will be displayed is currently featuring an exhibition of art by some of the inhabitants of Britain’s top security prisons. This was both inspiring and moving. Technically, of course, the work varied enormously in quality. There was, however, a uniform and overwhelming sense of the importance of art in the lives of the prisoners. Often their comments, attached to their work, were very revealing in relation to the part that painting had come to play in their lives, and in the process of rehabilitation. In addition to which, nobody could possibly see that exhibition without being compelled to go beyond any stereotypical images they held about prisoners. Thet became, as artists, fully humanised.
From a situation in which I felt that mere human presence was dwarfed by the architectural context, I came to feel that the building was given meaning and value by the art it housed.
I look forward to going back tomorrow, and meeting the staff who had the imagination to put on this show. Also I feel rather humbled that I will be following such a display of what art can do.