Chris Gollon – ‘Incarnation, Mary & Women from the Bible’ English Cathedrals Exhibition
Already an established name in British art, Chris Gollon is having a phenomenal year. What started as a solo exhibition in Guildford Cathedral in his home county of Surrey in 2014 has snowballed. ‘Incarnation, Mary & Women from the Bible’ is such a hit with both secular and religious audiences, with the clergy, and draws huge media attention that it is now a major national touring exhibition to English cathedrals. Sponsored by Brownhill Insurance, this year it has travelled to the cathedrals of Norwich and Chichester, is now in Durham Cathedral (2nd Oct – 2nd Nov) before travelling to Hereford for Advent. The exhibition focuses on the complexity of women’s experience of the Biblical narrative and also sheds light on women who are nameless or forgotten like Job’s wife, the first woman to question God’s actions. For each cathedral Gollon adds a new work. At Chichester, partial inspiration came from Chris Gollon reading Carol Ann Duffy’s book ‘The World’s Wife’, which lead to him painting the first ever image of Judas Iscariot’s Wife. His image of her imploding with grief as she holds her husband’s suicide note, whilst also hearing news of the forthcoming Crucifixion is heart rending. Although not particularly religious himself, Gollon’s gift is to bring these women and their stories back to life, drawing us into the human drama of the Biblical stories and making them relevant today. The exhibition has been featured in The Independent, on BBC Radio 3 and drew the attention of Clare Balding, who interviewed Chris on her BBC Radio 2 programme Good Morning Sunday. The price of Gollon’s work is rising steadily and more national media attention is in the pipeline.
Chris Gollon has enjoyed many solo museum shows in the UK and has works in important public collections including the British Museum. The latest book on his life and work is ‘Humanity in Art’ by art historian Tamsin Pickeral, and is endorsed by Bill Bryson OBE. Gollon is currently working on a new series of paintings that are an artistic collaboration with acclaimed Irish singer-songwriter Eleanor McEvoy, which will be unveiled in a solo exhibition at IAP Fine Art in London in January. Eleanor McEvoy will launch her new album in the exhibition. Details on Chris Gollon and his future exhibitions are on his official information website: www.chrisgollon.com.
Article courtesy of IAP Fine Art.
For more information on read: http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/whats-on/arts-culture-news/artist-chris-gollon-puts-women-10185009
