At the end of the course, after they had spent some time looking at
what contemporary artists did, my friend asked them, 'What do you now
think a contemporary artist does?' And the same child said 'They notice things.'
And I thought, wow, that's really a short, succinct version
of what an artist does. My job is to notice things that
other people don't notice.
Sir Grayson Perry in 2014
in Playing to the Gallery, Penguin Books 2014
ISBN 978-0-141-97961-8
My job is to "Die of service, not of rust"
That was the one bit of my school song that's stuck for 70+ years, and one that I've try to apply.
So from a big fan of Grayson (and his writing), this is a glimpse of some the offbeat work I've produced in the last decade for schools and churches to put to use. It's sort of art with its sleeves rolled up - perhaps the unwitting outcome of noticing things with a different eye. Grayson's Elizabeth II and mine show that.
These galleries have called for spare time, space and paints, an eye for opportunity, some carpentry, side-ways thinking, and a sense of humour. The result is what I like to think is artworks that are easy on the eye, brain and soul - and useful. And for me to be happy to have produced.
This page has links to key information; but if you'd like to know more, do get in touch.
With best wishes
Hugh Gibbons
Conductor of Just1 (and artist-in-residence, obvs)
to consider growing
A WhoArtful
Gallery is a simple idea - a school’s collection
of The Lord’s Prayer in different languages
found among their pupils, families, friends, and
parishioners. Schools will have good ideas on
how to put theirs to use –
eg
displayed on paper or
screen; illustrated; read out in assembly or
class.
It’s a celebration of their diversity today – and synodality. “In a Church that is living synodally, different cultures, languages, rites, ways of thinking, and realities can engage together and fruitfully in a sincere search for the Spirit's guidance”, said the Synodal Church in Mission Synthesis Report from Rome in October 2023.
The Gallery will be an echo of the Church of the Paternoster on the Mount of Olives with its hundreds of language versions on ceramic plaques. Yours will be on paper, maybe laminated for display – and personal to your school.
The idea springs from the Paternoster Gallery made in 2018 - a collection of 20+ language versions mounted on wooden blocks for display in churches and schools.
is a unique piece of public art - good simply to look at or study its four sides turned round. It's an artful gallery of Unofficial Saints. Adelante - Forward - was made to celebrate the canonisation of St Oscar Romero in 2018, updated in 2020 to reflect the many 'saints next door' seen in the pandemic.
Adelante is designed
to travel happily in the back of the car, take
up little floor space, and be wheeled around.
Handy for a school workshop is the A-Z of
Unofficial Saints. Adelante is happy to be
handled - the detachable panels encourage that -
and includes dozens of quotes and stories, some
spare socks for Romero donated by Churches
Together in England, a sickle, and a 20mm cannon
shell.
Full details are in
the PDF Guide at
www.just1.org.uk/adelantegallery
St Francis of Assisi Ascot
The
origin of the Galleries lies in scaled-up variations on the well-known Romero
Crosses. First was one to go in our porch at
home at Bracknell (left). Another is nearby with
a family friend.
The big one was made in 2013 to
be on very public view outside St Francis of Assisi church in South
Ascot. It was code-named Big Oscar, as it was to be a
form of tribute to the spirit of Archbishop
Oscar Romero of El Salvador - the world-loved
"voice of the voiceless." The cross was a
present to the parish in thanks for 50 years of
supporting CAFOD - the Catholic Agency for
Overseas Development - by me as a schools and
media volunteer.
The cross was a bit like a stained-glass window lit from
the inside, and meant to be enjoyed by passing
motorists, cyclist, pedestrians, as well as
parishioners - and pupils and parents at the
primary school.
The Cross was made in three parts with wood from
Wickes - the main piece and the two panels that
make up the crosspiece. This involved some serious carpentry with doweling to get the surface
flat - and 2400mm high.
There meant quite a lot of over-engineering round the
back, as well as a wooden frame and many coats
of varnish.
This Cross introduced some fun, being enjoyed
here by parishioner Sarah (who had visited El
Salvador with her parish in Ohio USA) and
daughter Anja. St Francis is holding up a dove
and a globe. Oscar Romero is peeking round, in
his trademark glasses and eyebrows. And a
small crowd of parishioners give a wave. Why is
the bird upside down? You tell me.
The Cross is no longer on public view.
In 2014 the parish priest gave it to St Francis of
Assisi Primary School next door, where it's
possibly tucked away
in the grounds. So
any potential viewers should contact Reception there.
However, using this as the springboard, the next move was
to accept the invitation to create something
inside and in the horizontal... the Gallery in
the hall at St Margaret Clitherow Primary
School in Bracknell.
Top of page
St Margaret Clitherow Primary in Bracknell
This
gallery was painted in Spring 2013 as a present
to a splendid primary school. There were strong
Gibbons connections. Both Maggie and Matt were
there, Anne was long a Foundation Governor, and
I got great support for CAFOD and social justice
campaigning in their assemblies.
The head of RE asked whether it would be
possible to replace the simple wire crucifix
above the big screen in the busy hall of the
school. The answer was to make a gallery 2400mm
wide - on a single piece of wood from Wickes.
The 7 big figures were specified by the pupils, Year by Year,
including Reception.
They chose Malala Yousafzai, Queen Elizabeth II, Sir
Isaac Newton, The Virgin Mary, David Beckham,
The Good Samaritan, and Florence Nightingale.
The staff chose governor Anne Gibbons.
While the main figures were being gradually
painted, about 20 smaller ones were found to
fill the spaces. Oscar Romero carries a CAFOD postcard with the message Aspire Not To Have More But To Be More. In the
centre is a wooden Romero Memorial Cross painted
by Lazaro Rodriguez in La Palma, El Salvador.
And the artist Hugh is in there, wearing a
Phrygian cap, obvs!
This gallery has been on view to around 1000
pupils, staff, family members, parishioners and
visitors.
There was a neat follow-up - after writing a few
letters during the 2013 school summer holiday.
Acclamation for the Gallery came from people and
places associated with the figures - including
Buckingham Palace, the Vatican, the United
Nations, the Royal Society, CAFOD, the Embassy
of El Salvador, and the Florence Nightingale
School of Nursing.
The Gallery has attachment points for bunting or
banners - as seen in the photo on the left at a
retirement party the day after it was put up.
Teaching assistant Maureen was painted in as a
late present!
for a full guide to the
story of this gallery.
This website includes a useful slideshow of the
story in
PDF
and
PowerPoint formats
