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Radio Pembrokeshire
Visited Narberth again yesterday to record a short conversation with Revd Peter Lewis’ for his Sunday morning programme for Radio Pembrokeshire, to be broadcast Sunday 19 October, between 7.00 and 8.00.
I talked a little bit about the stained glass in Tenby and was surprised that my mind went blank when he asked me about other good examples of stained glass in Pembrokeshire. My first thought was of Little Newcastle, and all the modern work there by Roy Lewis, Caroline Loveys and John Edwards, but then I couldn’t think of much. But there is plenty of interest elsewhere in the county, which is represented in the book, for example churches (Anglican and Roman Catholic) and some chapels, at Fishguard, Cilgerran, Haverfordwest, Talbenny, Pembroke and Pembroke Dock, Castlemartin (recently closed), Manorbier and Narberth itself. As well as these there is the work by Dom. Theodore Baily on Caldey Island, used as the cover illustration: not easy to forget, but I did. As well as these there is plenty of good stained glass in many other churches that I have visited, and others that I haven’t yet been to.
James Powell & Sons, Christ with Children, 1923, designed by Ernest Penwarden, Church of St James, Manorbier
Pictured here, but not in the book, is Christ in the midst of children, representing the members of Sketty Church Bible Class, who camped in Manorbier early in the twentieth century. Behind the group is a view of Manorbier Castle.
Narberth talk
Joan Fulleylove, St John, 1932, Church of St Andrew, Narberth
I will be presenting a number of talks in September related to my work on stained glass in Wales. The first of these will be held in Narberth Museum on 3 September at 7.00. Earlier in the afternoon I will be at Oriel Q from 4.00, where my exhibition Patterns, Monsters and Mysteries will be in its final week, to talk about the exhibition. Immediately prior to the talk, the Church of St Andrew, Narberth, will be open from 6.00, providing an opportunity to see windows by Joan Fulleylove, Morris & Co and Robert Newbery.
I will also be speaking at conferences in Aberystwyth and Carmarthen, both of which are related to broader themes. The Aberystwyth conference is a British Academy Digital Humanities Networking Event, 12-13 September, at the National Library of Wales. For the conference in Carmarthen I will be speaking about images of Welsh Saints in stained glass as well as in other media. This conference, 16-19 September, is part of The Cult of Saints in Wales Research Project at the University of Wales Centre for Advanced Welsh and Celtic Studies.
Radio Wales Arts Show
It was good to have an opportunity to mention the book on BBC Radio Wales once again this afternoon, this time with Nicola Heywood-Thomas on the weekly Radio Wales Arts Show. The short interview was mainly about the exhibition in Narberth, but offered the opportunity to talk about the pieces in stained glass and the book as well.
The broadcast is available on the BBC website to listen again for a short period.
Strata Florida windows
Martin Crampin, Ffenestr Ystrad Fflur I / Strata Florida Window I
Martin Crampin, Ffenestr Ystrad Fflur II / Strata Florida Window II
These images are based on two patterns from the fourteenth-century tiles at Strata Florida. The former abbey church had tiled pavements in the presbytery and transept chapels and many can still be seen collected in the south transept chapels. These pieces were made as part of my exhibition Patterns, Monsters and Mysteries, currently showing in Narberth (see previous post).
We know that the windows at Strata Florida were glazed and a few small fragments of window glass have been found there in excavations. However, the Cistercian rule had a preference for patterned, rather than figurative glass, and Strata Florida Window II is partly inspired by grisaille stained glass of the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries.
As well as the main exhibition, I am also exhibiting a set of photographs of stained glass from churches in Wales at Queen’s Hall, Narberth.
Both exhibitions run until 6 September 2014, Wednesday – Saturday 10–5.
New stained glass/exhibition
Over the last couple of years while researching for the final two chapters of the book, a few artists have kindly asked if I would like to make a piece of stained glass with them. In these cases time has been a limiting factor, but the subject came up again earlier in the year in conversation with Alun Adams of the Architectural Glass Centre, Swansea, and last week I made my first work in glass with the help of Owen Luetchford at their studio.
The piece will be part of my new exhibition, ‘Patterns, Monsters and Mysteries’ at Oriel Q, Queen’s Hall, Narberth, Pembrokeshire, which opens on Saturday 2 August. For more about the exhibition please visit my website. In addition to the piece, which is based on the pattern of a fourteenth-century tile at the former Cistercian abbey of Strata Florida, a second piece is composed of samples made in June with both Owen and his colleague Stacey Poultney. I will post some images next week after the opening.
As well as the main exhibition, which is primarily digital prints based on various suspects of medieval ecclesiastical visual culture, an exhibition of my photographs of stained glass can be found on the stairs.
My thanks are due to Owen and Stacey for their expertise and craftsmanship, and to Alun for facilitating the collaboration. The experience considerably enriched my understanding of the possible relationships between craftspeople, designers, artists and assistants that underlie the creation of most works in stained glass. Hopefully I will have opportunities to make more work in glass in the future.
Stained Glass from Welsh Churches 