Church of St Mary, Southampton, Hampshire
Address
Church of St Mary, Saint Mary Street, Southampton SO14 1AQTheme
Overview
The Stevens Competition is the premier competition for stained glass artists in the UK. It was founded in 1972 to provide an opportunity for aspiring architectural glass artists, designers, and craftsman to compete in a format which simulates the typical process to obtain a commercial commission. Entrants are required to develop a design to a specific client brief and provide Artistic and Technical Statements defining the concept behind their design and how the design would be realised.
In 1987 the Competition moved from theoretical locations to site specific locations, which allowed for the possibility, with the agreement of the sponsor, of a winning design to be realised.
Highlight
Titanic Memorial Window, north wall of the nave, winner of the 2016 Stevens Competition CommissionArtist, maker and date
Designed by Louise Hemmings and made with Ark Stained Glass & Leaded Light, 2018Reason for highlighting
As a stained glass designer I often speak with bereaved family members who want a lasting legacy for their lost ones, and something they can be remembered by. They find comfort from the thought that their loved ones are in a good place and that such a dedication, as a stained glass window, will be around to be enjoyed for hundreds of years. With that in mind the focus of my design was on the entire crew of the Titanic who perished that night.
What brought this idea into focus was my visit to the Titanic exhibition, where the first thing you are met with is a wall of faceless portraits. Though their names were there, the starkness of that wall and seeing all the grey portraits of those lost was startling. I wanted to try and rework this into the window, but what I also wanted was to add a sense of hope.
The design I presented included 669 orbs, each one representing a crew member lost. By putting an individual orb into the window for each soul, it opens the viewers’ eyes to how many lives were lost. The orbs would be done in a mixture of enamelled, cut, flashed and fused glass to create the busy look of the overall design.
The angel is a symbol of hope, a way of reassuring the viewer that each of these souls is being cared for. They rise from the bottom of the window as if guided by the angel. The angel holds the flag of the White Stair Cruise Liner. The wings spread out over the three lights, encompassing the orbs and guiding them up through the window.
It is a design which both shocks and brings peace to those who view it. it is a reminder of the scale of the tragedy, but also a reminder that we are being watched over and cared for in this life and after.
Artist/maker notes
Louise Hemmings began her training in the world of stained glass immediately after university as an assistant designer at John Hardman & Co.. Over the years her designs have appeared across the country and in the USA, in private residences and churches. She used what she learnt at John Hardman’s to become Head Designer and Painter at Ark Stained Glass & Leaded lights Ltd, where she continues to practise new skills and take on the role of Head of Conservation at Ark.
Ark Stained Glass & Leaded Lights Ltd are specialists in the design, manufacture, conservation and restoration of stained glass and leaded lights. They also specialise in the restoration of period metal and timber casements.
Further information: Ark Stained Glass
Comments by
Peter Hildebrand & Louise Hemmings