Church of St. John, Healey, Northumberland
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Church of St. John, Healey, Northumberland NE44 6BJRecommended by
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Two commemorative nave windowsArtist, maker and date
Designed by James Hugonin and Anne Mou Vibeke, and made by Derix Glasstudios, 2010Reason for highlighting
These two windows were conceived as a single commission in memory of Julian and Virginia Warde-Aldam.
James Hugonin’s window, ‘Contrary Rhythm (glass)’ comprises 2,160 small squares and rectangles of coloured antique glass, sandwiched between two clear sheets, each of which is laser etched with a grid. It has challenged our notion of stained glass, changing our notion of what a window should look like, into what a window can look like.
Anne Mou Vibeke’s ‘Untitled’ window is point engraved on glass, and has resisted the seduction of colour, for the interplay of light through clear glass and simple imagery – and elegantly represents the art of engraved glass.
Artist/maker notes
James Hugonin (b.1950) was born in County Durham and trained as a painter at Winchester School of Art, West Surrey College of Art & Design and Chelsea School of Art, before returning to live and work in the North-east. His carefully worked paintings demand close attention and contemplation.
Source: Ingleby Gallery, Edinburgh – James Hugonin
Anne Vibeke Mou (b.1978) moved to United Kingdom in 1999 to study at Glasgow School of Art and Royal College of Art, London. She lives and works in Newcastle upon Tyne. Her work across sculpture, drawing and glass has been exhibited widely.
Source: Anne Vibeke Mou website
Derix Glasstudios, Taunusstein, Germany, was founded in 1866 and has a fine reputation for operating at the forefront of technology to realise the designs of artists and architects.
Source: Derix Glasstudios website
Other comments
These two windows won the 2011 “Art in a Religious Context” award from the charity Art + Christianity. More details can be seen on Art+Christianity’s Ecclesiart web pages, which raise awareness of significant works of modern and contemporary art since 1920 in UK churches and cathedrals, here and here.
An excellent accompanying publication The Windows of St John’s Church, was produced by Coracle Press and The Hotspur, to accompany the installation of the windows.
The above windows were commissioned by Jamie Warde-Aldam, whose father had earlier commissioned 3 windows in the church as memorials to his parents and brother. They were made by Leonard Evetts and depict scenes from life of St. Cuthbert, 1955/60.