As part of Holy Week we visited an exhibition at St Giles’ Church Oxford -Between Darkness & Light (featuring Mark Cazalet and Philippine Sowerby). I’ve always been interested in art that explores faith by moving beyond traditional symbols, or expresses them in an unexpected way. I thought these artists did just that.
I especially liked Mark Cazalet’s chalk drawings of trees and the way he conveyed the beauty and expectancy of that scene. All those colours, lines and shapes are there, but are usually hidden by the ordinariness of the scene, and he drew them out.
Some of the literature about the artists at the church contained a quote which summed up well the intention of his work: “The real discovery is not in finding new landscapes, but in having new eyes” - Marcel Proust
This had significance for me too. As part of lent I have been trying to do more drawing - which hasn’t been going so well over the holidays… but still - I’ve enjoyed observing common objects in a more considered way. I feel more appreciative of the world we live in.
