Historically, much of my work has been done in the context of faith, specifically Christian environments. I was raised in a Christian household & have inherited a rich wisdom tradition rooted in the teachings of Jesus. Because of the nature of my work & all the travel it’s welcomed, I have enjoyed learning from all kinds of perspectives & theological variations of my faith. I believe this wide spectrum of spiritual expression has directly contributed to my creativity & how I approach curating visual experiences. Today, the practices & worldviews from both the Anglican & Celtic streams of my faith continue to shape how I see & understand the world around me.
Throughout my years working in the Church, I have been invited on occasion to speak & share the perspectives I’ve received. During this time, I created a site called illuminate.us to serve as both an inspirational & educational resource for those exploring the intersection of sacred space & visual art – an intersection that contains a rich & complex history, much of what has been lost in modern times.
The history of liturgical art & sacred space has been one of my greatest teachers. So much of what has gone before us can inform what lies in front of us, both in & outside of the walls of the Church. The “visual liturgies” of the past are filled with stories of highly skilled artisans, some of whom lived in exile; their stories relate to the struggles & challenges that many faithful Christians face today… especially those standing in protest against the nationalistic, racist, misogynistic, & abusive expressions of religion that plague the modern day Church.
Navigating faith these days is tricky, especially for me. Much of what I believe & what I have learned about Jesus stands in contrast to popular modern Christianity in the West, especially in America. But that’s another story.
But somewhere in the middle of the mess, art is created. Beauty is finding its way through the cracks. And that is a space I have explored for quite some time. And it’s led to some interesting questions & conversations.
How can Eastern iconography point us to a better way of curating images for projection? How can Celtic illuminations deepen our approach to art? What if the grand halls of cathedrals & the stories solidified in stained glass can inform our modern worship centers? How are the visual liturgies we curate shaping & forming our beliefs… for better & for worse?
illuminate.us is a place to start that ancient+future conversation.