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Last
night - just arrived at Rich’s, and decided to go
out and walk the streets. Starting at about 9 pm, I walked
up on Columbus. from 80th street to 112th to checkout St.
John the Divine, the largest Episcopal Cathedral in America
and one of the largest Cathedrals in the world.
I was first
amazed by its size. Massive. I walked around its perimeter
and stopped awhile at the front doors – identifying
the panels on each of the large front doors -
Every where, Biblical symbols - shown at left is a single
panel on one of the main doors; God creating Light - Elsewhere
I was drawn to the four standards of Israel’s camps,
the four evangelists, the four faces of the Seraphim from
Ezekiel’s vision: Lion, Ox, Eagle, Man. Inclusion
of these symbols were prominent for a time in sculpture
and painting, and usually represent Matthew (man), Mark
(lion), Luke (ox), and John (eagle). Disappointing that
he Cathedral was not open at night - what ever happened
to the idea that a Cathedral or Church was available for
prayer 24/7?
That was last
night - as for today, I am hear at St. John's to see the
Time
to Hope show. This trip of mine, was planned
specifically to see this show. However, prior to leaving,
and after seeing Time to Hope on-line, I thought it was
going to be a let down.
BUT
- the visual and stunning atmosphere of St John's which
was also in the process of Choir rehearsals by different
children and teen Choral groups, set a proper mood for the
work - a group of art and artifacts that is far more effecting
in person and in the collective arrangement of the show.
I paid for a
recorded tour, slipped on the headset and proceeded to tour
the show, notebook in hand:
•
Eden often represented ornamentally by flowers and trees.
• Serpent with Cherub face – great idea –
Angel of Light – beautiful and enchanting (though
the catalog says it is the face of a woman).
• Polyglot layout with commentary – a new
idea for my Freedom ART Project Polyglot Bible, based on
the old (English / Hebrew / Greek – commentary choice
may be difficult to settle on – perhaps various inclusions
as notes from Rabbis as well as classic thinkers such as
Augustine and Aquinas, etc.) or sans commentary (it will
be hard enough picking an English translation).
• Gold Leaf stained with oil glazing..
 I
am frustrated not to not have had the money to buy the digital
camera I wanted. The reproduction and angle shots in the
catalog do not capture the detail or richness of the originals,
which are amazing. The gilded polychrome wood sculpture
of Saint Michael by Francisco de Giralte is magnificent
in accomplishment – to appreciate its volume and ornate
decoration, is to only see it in the round and up close.
Moving between the Giralte and the early El Greco painting,
St. Sebastian - has eaten up a half hour of the exhibit.
El Greco's St.
Sebastian has captivated me - It is a not the most complicated,
but certainly one of the more provocative El Greco  paintings.
It is an earlier work of his and is quite large.
The experience
of the day in the Cathedral with Time to Hope, was worth
the expense and determination it took for me to get to NY.
In reading the Time to Hope catalog, I
especially like what was written by Luis Gutierrez, Bishop
of Segovia, President of the "Las Edades del Hombre"
Foundation:
"... I
would like to thank the Episcopal Church, represented by
the Bishop of New York and the Dean of the Cathedral, during
the organization of this exhibition. We hope that this symbol
of Christian fraternity will develop into a new step forward
in the pursuit of a single Church that worships the one
and only Lord Jesus Christ, the reason and motive for hope."
To that I would
add - if not in the spirit of God, then let us come together
through the sharing of our art, in the spirit of celebration,
reflection, and blessed hope - there is inspiration in dialog.
November
continued - The Fifteenth in Two Parts - >>Part
II
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