Faith in the Imagination

Throughout my work images relating to religious faith and spirituality recur implicitly in a variety of ways. Recently this interest has come to occupy a larger place in my work. Three of my other “galleries” present projects which derive directly from my own Christian commitment, namely those entitled Four Quartets, Set Apart and The Green Man Project. Images dawn from two other projects are not offered here. The first deals with the season of Advent (originally a set of five images) and the second explores the idea of “creation” (originally seven images). Neither of these series is currently for sale.

I also include here several individual pieces in which their Christian content is more-or- less explicit.

My work does not often arouse controversy, but Dottore della peste certainly did when it was shown in Wetherby, where it apparently caused great offence to a group of evangelical Christians—quite against my intentions. In fact, I regard it as one of the few of my works that might be regarded as expressing a direct religious commitment.

Faith in the Imagination

The Three (A chance encounter with these ancient posts on the shore of Solway Firth led me to reflecting on the idea of the Trinity.)

Ikon/Revelation (Following a visit to a small chapel on the shore of Lake Garda, I found myself thinking about the way in which images of Jesus often conceal more than they reveal of him.)

Il Dottore della Peste(This controversial take on Holman Hunt’s picture is not intended as a parody. The appearance of the doctor, rather, is a sign of our acute need to be healed.)

William Golding’s Kingfisher (Theophany) (Inspired by an incident in Golding’s The Spire, this image explores the idea of the rare and fleeting nature of true religious experience.)

After the Supper (Inspired by a moment at the close of an open-air meal in Italy, my thoughts turned to a very specific supper.)

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