All Saints Church New Longton

The Assumption of the Saints Through the Mediation of the Cross
found earth colours
2001

Cross of Abundance
laser cut steel
74 x 54 cm
2001

Ladder of Perfection (in studio)
earth and acrylic on hemlock
505.5 x 62.5 cm
2003

Adapted from the artist’s statement

The project to refurbish the sacramental area of New Longton Church, Preston, started with a request by New Longton’s priest, Rev. Martyn Rogers to purchase a wire cross of text by Tom Phillips that he had seen exhibited at the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition in 2001

Finding that the word cross would not be seen to good effect because of the horizontal nature of the church interior and the absence of natural light, the artist proposed redesigning the altar area, providing a colour scheme for walls, floor and ceiling, an altar cross and a mural on the subject The Assumption of the Saints Through the Mediation of the Cross. Since extravagant materials would not be appropriate to either the subject or the church itself he proposed executing the mural entirely in found earth colours.

A local area of black earth used for market gardening provided an excellent dark colour. The lightest colour, a quite vivid yellow, comes from the London Clay beneath the topsoil in the garden of the artist’s house. Other pigments come from Oxford and Dorset. These colours were mixed with acrylic resin for stability, the mural was painted on panels in London and then installed by the artist’s assistants.

The altar cross is adapted from a free hanging cross designed originally for St Albans Cathedral and is executed in laser cut stainless steel.

The bishop’s throne was given proper prominence by means of a Ladder of Perfection based on the progress of the Soul in Dante’s Purgatorio where a sudden leap to heaven is the climax of a long ascent.

The final element in the overall design consisted of granite/marble floor tiling in a series of bands echoing both mural and ladder to mark the different platform levels.