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On Saturday 30th June I’ve been invited to speak at an event hosted by Artserve at Sketty in Swansea. This has come about through my association with the Methodist Collection of Modern Art, which holds the painting I was commissioned to make in 2010/11 titled Christ Writes in the Dust. Artserve is a Methodist organisation that promotes creativity as an aspect of faith. The day runs from 10.30 am to 3.30 pm, and my part in it will be to give a Powerpoint-supported talk about my work, after which I’ll conduct a maquette-making workshop to which all are welcome, regardless of experience or aptitude. It’ll be fun, and all materials will be provided for you.
Paper-fasteners for making maquettes.
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Now it should be said that before I accept a gig such as this one, I always warn not to expect explanations of faith shaping me as a painter, because I have no faith. But the organisers of this event are a game lot. Having not been put off by my atheism, they’ve held fast to the invitation for me to speak about why I paint what I do. It’s a fact that my subject matter is greatly to do with matters of faith, and I’m not entirely sure why. A mystery. Nevertheless, on Saturday I’ll attempt to plumb it. This is intended to be an informal event. Of course I’ll answer any and all questions asked, including the difficult ones!
All are welcome to the event. There is a suggested donation of £10 to cover costs for the day, and that includes lunch, which sounds a pretty good deal to me. Anyone interested in attending please contact David Grimwood at Artserve to reserve your place. He can be reached on: 07960 36981. Hope to see you on Saturday at:
Sketty Methodist Church, Sketty, Swansea SA2 9AH
10.15 am – 3.30 pm
Lunch provided
Oh yes…
… Jack is coming too!
Hah. Well, if I were a priest or pastor, I might very well say (as one once said to me, paraphrasing here) “Clive, you probably have more faith in what God really is than people who profess to have a great deal, and say they know all about him.” To me, the proof is in what a person loves, and how they live their life. Believing in a God-figure, traditional notions of sin, scripture and church dogma, or life after death have just about nothing to do with it.
You make me sound a better and wiser man than I am. It’s nice to read that, even though I know I am no such thing.
‘This I am afraid may be a ridiculous redundancy as I have made two other attempts to comment but they have failed to post. One more shot.’
Hi Leonard. Clive here, intervening in your comment. I found the two previous posts you made hiding in spam. This rarely happens and who can tell why. Thank you for being so patient. Your perseverance won through eventually! (-;
C x
Wise Methodists to have such a fine possession in their collection AND to have you speak. Lucky congregants, like your other US acolytes I bemoan the inconvenient body of water that separates us.
I do not think it at all curious that much of your work centers around spiritual imagery. Like you, I have little (no?) faith, this is a very recent understanding for me, but one that has become increasingly clear. And like you, my work focuses on what is traditionally considered religious, currently the old gods, but often the new and their saints. From my perspective an artist would of course be drawn to images of transcendence, and culturally faith has provided splendid examples. Your images of holy saints make my hardened unbelieving heart rethink its resolve. That is perhaps why the Methodist possess such a gorgeous painting.
Enjoy the Q & A, you will charm the hell out of them (pun intended).
LG
I have indeed found the Methodists to be wise. They’ve examined the modern world and rethought their stance on matters that other denominations bury their heads like ostriches to avoid. Had they not, then perhaps the commission for Christ Writes in the Dust would not have come to an openly gay man professing no faith. But when I spoke to the infinitely compassionate theologian who commissioned the work, he expressed the belief that perhaps one whose sexuality meant growing up feeling an outsider, might bring insights to a subject that is, at its very core, all about being ‘outside’.
The commissioning theologian seems to be a great humanist in the tradition of Renaissance patronage . The final painting shows that a happy match was made.
My friend, I’m so pleased that you think so. Thank you.
Recording? Paper copy of remarks or outline or whatever you use? This is something Clivean that I am curious about and have pondered…
Gosh no. This will be simple and direct. No recording to distract or make anyone feel on show. I want it to be almost a discussion. Besides Marly, in the vast archive of e-mails that have flown between us over the years of our friendship and professional collaboration, there can be no aspect about these matters that we haven’t covered at length. Regarding how I think about what I paint, in my opinion there is nothing better in print than your own semi-fictional chapter of the 2011 monograph.
(Note to Artlog readers: Marly’s chapter is titled Fire in the Labyrinth, and in that she intuits with uncanny precision what my process of creativity feels like.)
Having an “aw, shucks” moment on the other side of the big puddle…
oh…. and jack?? i wish i were closer
congratulations! it will be great fun….wish we could come hear you speak…
Just the small matter of you being in the USA and me being in the UK!!!
Yes, Jack too. He may not make any maquettes, but he’s always content to be admired and petted!
(-;
Visiting friends in Bridgend that weekend, I’m going to ask if they mind me flitting off to come – a workshop with the maquette-meister can’t be passed over, really look forward to it Clive and to hearing you talk about your work
It would be good to hook up Phil, if you can make it. Bring your Green Man heads for ‘Show and Tell’!
(-;
He he, ok, they’re going in the suitcase…
Rather ironically I’ll be dragging my atheism off to church on the 30th as I’m going to a wedding. I’d much rather be attending your maquette-making workshop. I’m sure it will be inspirational. Any chance of another one in the not too distant future?
Hello Suzanne. I bet you’d make a damned fine maquette with no help from me! (-;
I wouldn’t be averse to a maquette workshop, though I haven’t one planned. I hosted an online maquette exhibition here at the Artlog a short while ago. You can see it if you click HERE.
Oh God! now I am seriously sick that I can’t make it. They look fantastic!!!!!!
[excuse the overuse of exclamation marks. It's down to my limited vocab]
Well I just wish that I’d found you before I did, because then I would have invited you to be a part of the exhibition. If we do another I shall be at you for a submission!