Church of St Laurence, Catford, London SE6
Address
Church of St Laurence, 37 Bromley Rd, Catford, London SE6 2TSRecommended by
Highlight
Seven 12 metre spans of ‘dalle de verre’ glazing supporting the dome.Artist, maker and date
W. T. Carter Shapland 1968Reason for highlighting
The octagonal church and its glass are contemporaneous, both dating from 1968. Where stained glass windows are often designed for the fabric of an existing building at different stages over time, this is a rare example of all the glass being designed to complement the design of the church itself from the outset. The glass scheme also enhances the ambience of the fine interior space.
The date of the building and the glass is significant. Dalle de verre was an important experimental approach to reinterpreting ‘stained glass’ in the 1950s and 1960s. It is created by incorporating heavy chunks of intensely coloured glass into a massive concrete and resin framework. The edges of the individual chunks are often faceted before inclusion, giving a refractive brilliance to the scheme. Occasionally painted images are added. At St Laurence the glass unusually has no facets and admits plenty of light into the interior. The combination represents the best of 1960s architecture.
Artist/maker notes
William Thomas ‘Tom’ Carter Shapland (1925-1972) came from a Devon farming family. He was trained and worked for five years under the supervision of Arthur Erridge for J. Wippell & Co of Exeter, Devon.
In the early 1950s he was working as a designer with Barton, Kinder and Alderson in Brighton, Sussex. At this time his designs were figurative and called for traditional techniques of manufacture.
Tom then became a freelance artist, adopting the ploughshare as his maker’s mark, reminiscent of his farming background.
Source: Joyce Little, Stained Glass Marks and Monograms (London: National Association of Decorative and Fine Art Societies, 2002)
Other comments
Dalle de Verre glass schemes were experimental and in many cases have not withstood the test of time. The weight of the largely concrete framework and its composition, together with changing fashions since the 1960s, have meant that existing windows are now rare examples of a once lauded technique. This is the only known use of this technique by Tom Shapland.
The original architect’s plans for the church are held in Lewisham Borough Library.
The illuminated dalle de verre cross behind the altar is surrounded by the ‘Comforter’ (2008), a welded raw steel circle designed by Victoria Rance. More details can be seen on Art+Christianity’s Ecclesiart’ s web pages, which raise awareness of significant works of modern and contemporary art since 1920 in UK churches and cathedrals.