Saturday 3 December 2011

December 3rd, 2011 - Saturday

Location: inside Manchester Cathedral
Designer: Lisa Denyer, contemporary artist - www.lisadenyer.com

Location Notes: The Cathedral is one of Manchester's earliest sites (despite its current Victorian face) and part of the distinctive skyline. There has been a church on that site possibly since 923AD with evidence within of a Mancunian church dating from the 7th century! It also forms a part of the history of Sanctus 1, who have held several services there over the years, most recently as part of the Spirit of Life festival in May 2011, and who are part-funded by the Anglican church.

Shrine Notes: Imagine the history of the Cathedral, the people who have walked across its hallowed ground over many centuries. God has been worshipped both at its altar and through the innate peace of its gardens. Imagine yourself relaxing in warm sunlight, slowly moving over its ground. Thank God for the things, events, places and people that bring you peace.

Designer Notes: When I found out that my shrine location was going to be Manchester Cathedral, I decided that I wanted to include an example of some of my new abstract work. This is because my new paintings are largely influenced by architectural elements, such as light reflecting from windows, negative space and shadows cast by buildings. I have always been fascinated by shapes, silhouettes and simplified motifs. My new paintings depict geometric shapes and patterns, which are made using an approach that is meditative in its repetitive process. As part of my last project, ‘Crystal Abstracts’, I have also been looking at microcosm and macrocosm and the idea of universal designs that span the cosmos. I have been especially inspired by crystal formations.

Feel free to write about your thoughts and experiences with this shrine, or how you've seen people using it, as a comment (see below) or tweet @sanctus1mcr.

3 comments:

  1. We've had a twitter comment from someone who thought this shrine looks electronic, like it will change colour and shape (like an electric billboard). They were looking forward to seeing it in person later on.

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  2. Even knowing this is at the Cathedral, it's still a good shrine hunt. To help you find it, have a look at the far side of the Cathedral, there's a raised section on that side and it's on a pillar shelf at the steps to that raised section. When looking at the shrine, you'll be just about in line with the wooden screen at the front of the choir stalls (where you can find the misericords).

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  3. It was me that said it looked like an electronic billboard. Like Piccadilly Circus or Times Square or the kind you see in shopping malls. I went to see the shrine early Saturday evening but unfortunately I could not find it. Some of the Cathedral was closed off, gated so I think it might have been in one of those places. I will go back as I would like to see it close up.

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