St Andrew’s and St George’s West, Edinburgh

Open 4th April – 9th May, 2018

Welcome to the “Signs of Life” Exhibition On-Line Catalogue.

As a church, we are celebrating a very important festival for Christians: the resurrection from death of Jesus Christ, his appearing and parting words to his disciples; and his ascending into heaven.

On this page and through the artworks and audio guide, we’re celebrating and retelling this story.  Just follow the eleven numbered pictures to come into the story yourself and walk through the narrative.

Begin with number 1 at the main door, then move to

2 on the picture board facing into the courtyard, with 3 and 4 beside it,

5, 6, 7 are on the walkway down to the Undercroft

8, 9 and 10 are inside the Undercroft cafe

then back out to the main front door for number 11 (the Ascension).

Audio Guide

The audio guide can accompany your walk around the pictures, available to download before visiting.  The audio guide contains related poems, artists’ explanations of their work and some voices of people in the church, reading the witness accounts of the first Easter.

If you prefer to read the guide, rather than hear it, there is opportunity to do this, indicated by the word READ. (Simply follow directions, click on the link and a separate page will open).

Welcome:

 

READ the welcome, if you prefer, by clicking on this link.

At main doorway:

1. Jesus Rises from the dead

(To view more works by this artist or order prints, visit here.)

Picture 1: Curator’s note

READ as text if you prefer, by clicking on this link.

 

Picture 1: Artist’s note

READ as text by clicking on this link.

 

Picture 1: Witness reading

READ as text if you prefer, by clicking on this link.

 

Poem: The Rocks Pulsate – George MacLeod

READ as text if you prefer, by clicking on this link.

Picture Panels facing into the courtyard:

2. Breakthrough

(To view more works by this artist or to order prints, go to this link.)

Curator’s note

READ as text if you prefer, by clicking on this link.

 

Witness reading:

READ as text by clicking on this link.

 

Poem: “On Easter Day” © Malcolm Guite from Sounding the Seasons, Canterbury Press 2012 www.malcolmguite.com

READ as text on this link.

(Access more of Malcolm’s poetry on his blog.) 

3. Mary Magdalene

Curator Note:

READ: for text only, click on this link.

 

Witness Reading:

READ: for text only, click on this link.

 

Poem: “Let not your heart be troubled” © Malcolm Guite from Parable and Paradox: Sonnets of the sayings of Jesus and other Poems, Canterbury Press 2016 www.malcolmguite.com

READ as text on this link.

(access more of Malcolm Guite’s poems on his blog) 

4. Seeing through tears

(To view more works by this artist or to order prints, go to this link.)

Curator’s Note:

READ as text by clicking on this link.

 

Witness reading:

READ as text by clicking on this link.

 

Poem: XV   Easter Dawn – © Malcolm Guite from Sounding the Seasons, Canterbury Press 2012 www.malcolmguite.com

READ as text by clicking in this link.

(Access more of Malcolm Guite’s poems on his blog.)

Picture panels on the walkway to the Undercroft Cafe:

5. The companion on the journey

(To view more works by this artist or to order prints, go to this link.)

Curator’s note:

READ as text by clicking on this link.

 

Witness reading:

READ as text by clicking on this link.

 

Poem: Emmaus 1 – © Malcolm Guite from Parable and Paradox: Sonnets on the Sayings of Jesus and other Poems, Canterbury Press 2016 www.malcolmguite.com 

READ as text by clicking on this link.

(Access more of Malcolm Guite’s poems on his blog.)

6. Recognised in the breaking of the bread

Curator’s Note:

READ as text here.

 

Witness reading:

READ as text here.

 

Poem: I am the bread of life – © Malcolm Guite from Parable and Paradox: Sonnets on sayings of Jesus and other Poems, Canterbury Press 2016 www.malcolmguite.com

READ as text by clicking on this link.

(Access more of Malcolm Guite’s poems on his blog)

7. Thomas doubts

(To view more works by this artist, go to this link.)

Artist’s comment:

READ as text here.

 

Witness Reading:

READ as text here.

 

Poem: Doubt – ©Fran Brady

READ as text here.

(Access more of Fran’s writing on her website)

 

In the Undercroft Cafe:

8. A second chance

Curator’s note:

READ as text here:

 

Witness account:

READ as text here.

 

Poem: Cupped – ©Chris Goan

READ as text here.

(access more of Chris’ poetry here.) 

9. Good News

Photographer’s note:

READ as text here.

 

Witness reading:

READ as text here.

10. Books

Minister’s note:

READ as text here.

 

Witness reading:

READ as text here.

 

Poem: Goldmine – ©Fran Brady

READ as text here.

(Access more of Fran’s writings on her website)

 

Back at the main doorway to the Church:

11. Jesus ascends to heaven

(To view more works by Jacob or order a print of the picture directly from the artist.)

Curator’s comment:

READ as text here.

 

There is an amazing story behind the painting “Imago Dei”, recorded on the Makers and Mystics podcast, Season 2 Episode 7.

Melina Daniels, the wife of the painter tells it beautifully.  Her husband, Jacob, wanted to paint a picture of an ascension which was not the usual white man, wounded, wafting up to heaven.

READ text only at this link.

 

Witness reading:

READ as text here.

 

Poem: Ascension – © Malcolm Guite from Sounding the Seasons, Canterbury Press 2012 www.malcolmguite.com

READ as text here.

(Access more of Malcolm Guite’s poetry on his website.)

Other Artworks you will find in the Cafe:

“The Arising” by Shona MacDonald (Pierre noir conte pencil and compressed charcoal on A1 paper)

Offered for sale

 

 

 

 

 

 

“New Life” by Liz Crichton.  (image available to purchase from the artist)

 

 

 

 

“In Flood” by Pen Jones (Private collection, Giclee print; prints available from website)

 

Pen and Merve Jones are a husband-wife partnership – Merve mostly with graphic design, Pen with ceramics and painting – based in County Down, Northern Ireland.

 

 

Heavenly Bird – Jaclyn Stuart

“You knit me together” by Beverley Healy

private collection.

Prints available from the artist’s website)

 

“He is not here” by Lou Davis

This is a special new print, created specifically for this exhibition, in a print run of only 10.

 

More details on the artists here.

We have just refreshed the display in the cafe from White Spirit Arts Gallery in St Andrews – to include more pictures by Jeni Bump, Jaclyn Stuart and two textile embroideries “Transforming Grief” by Imogen Mason.

We also have a vibrant print especially made for this exhibition by Edinburgh-based printmaker, Lou Davis – which reveals the disturbed sense of the women who visited the tomb, their confused uncertainness as to how to react, picture and thinking are described in Lou’s blog:  “He is not here.”

 

Exhibition access

The artworks numbered 1-7 and 11 are viewable outdoors

The artworks indoors (numbered 8-10) are viewable during the Undercroft cafe’s open hours which are: Monday to Friday, 10 am to 2 pm.

The church itself is open and available as a quiet space until 3pm weekdays, on Saturdays from 11-2 and on Sundays you are welcome to join any of our services at 9 am, 9.45 am or 11 am.

There will be exhibition catalogues available at the Welcome Table in the vestibule of the church main building, and also in the Undercroft Cafe.

Invitation

Please take as long as you like to reflect on these artworks as you make your way around the building, and “Signs of Life”.   The church itself is an inviting, quiet space for contemplation at the end of the exhibition.

We hope you will take a moment to comment on your experience of the exhibition in the book at the welcome table.