Westminster Cathedral

Mosaic, originally uploaded by Frank Hangler.

 

The first thing to note about Westminster Cathedral is that it is not Westminster Abbey!

The information in this post has come from Wikipedia:

Westminster Cathedral in London, England is the mother church of the Roman Catholic faithful of the Archdiocese of Westminster and the metropolitan church of the Westminster Province, located at 42 Francis Street SW1 in the City of Westminster. It is the largest Roman Catholic church in England and Wales.

mosaic 2, originally uploaded by the-father.

 

mosaic, originally uploaded by the-father.

The Byzantine church architecture by John Francis Bentley makes Westminster Cathedral a highly distinctive building.

The dominating external features are the great campanile, St. Edward’s Tower, 273ft high (top of cross, 284ft), and the West Front with its finely balanced pillars and arches.

The nave is the widest of any church in England and, because the Sanctuary is 4.5ft above the level of the nave, every part commands an uninterrupted view of the High Altar, with its imposing marble and mosaic baldacchino, on which light is cleverly concentrated. The richly gilt Crucifix hanging from the chancel arch is 30ft in length. On one side is the figure of Christ; on the reverse, towards the altar, the figure of the Sorrowful Mother. The Archiepiscopal Throne or cathedra, of marble and mosaic, is modelled on the Papal Throne at the Basilica of St. John Lateran in Rome.

The beautiful marble pillars are elaborately carved, with caps of white Carrara marble, no two alike. There are in all eleven side-chapels. Adjoining the Chapel of the Blessed Sacrament is a white marble monument of Cardinal Vaughan (d. 1903). The screen and gates in this chapel, surmounted by a gold pelican, are very beautiful. In a corresponding position on the other side of the Sanctuary is the Lady Chapel. The Chapel of St. Gregory and Augustine (the first on the right as one enters the nave) and the Chapel of the Holy Souls (the first on the left as one enters) are also complete; the former was the gift of Lord and Lady Brampton.

The cathedral continues to receive donations for the completion of the elaborate mosaics within. As of 2006, work is being undertaken to decorate the Chapel of St. Joseph.

Below the Choir is the Crypt, or St. Peter’s Chapel, also with fine columns. Here are monuments covering the remains of Cardinals Wiseman and Manning, transferred from their original place of interment at St. Mary’s Catholic Cemetery in Kensal Green.

The view from the Tower is much obstructed by nearby buildings and scenery. The tower is about 60ft higher than the western towers of Westminster Abbey, but is 30ft lower than the Clock Tower of the Houses of Parliament. Archbishop’s House adjoins the eastern end of the Cathedral, in Ambrosden Avenue.

Mosaiced floor, originally uploaded by Frank Hangler.

 

English Saints, originally uploaded by Frank Hangler.

You are never too old

pat cloke progressing on gold fish, originally uploaded by grangearts.

This photoset by grangearts is a very positive one.The people in this these photos are the attendees of the Grange Day Centre. Mosaics and ceramics were available in twice weekly workshops over a year.
I’ll let Jane Hufton explain the rest:

“As a preamble to the final artwork as part of the residency and, supported by Scottish & Newcastle Breweries, we made a new mosaic sign for the day centre which at 20 feet long and with no previous experience on behalf of the participants, was no mean feat. Each single piece of tile was carefully positioned, requiring considerable skill and patience!

The theme of the mosaic here is transition and change: Journeys in life.
It was important from the outset that the ceramic element to the improved entranceway would not conflict or detract from existing works and would harmonise with new elements such as the oak doors.

In workshops we discussed ideas such as the seasons of ones life as a journey and factors or transitional times that shape and influence us, such as education, family & work and we developed pictorial metaphors to try and represent those factors.
I was able to collate information from other projects as a way of including the widest range of personal ideas.
The concept of the mosaic was to make strands or ‘pathways’ of images in the form of pattern, colour and words, that flow and cross each other, sometimes emerging slightly differently from where they set off; an echo of the journeys we all make through life.
The idea of time passing is described in the first panel by a large, deliberately ambiguous hourglass shape.
Each of the single printed images of people enjoying events and activities made possible by attending the Day Centre represents a single grain of sand. It is meant to celebrate diversity, opportunity and a community sharing those things.
The strands of acorns represent new life whilst the falling autumn leaves hint at the other end of the spectrum.
The hands in the sky are wishes, hopes, angels and a reminder that we must aim high in life. They are actually handprints of some of the people who attend the Day Centre and refer back to a creative writing project that took place in the early stages of the Grange Arts programme.
There are the more obvious gestures of night and day as part of the cycle of life. But in our sharing of thoughts and aspirations for the panels, it was seen also to be relevant as a metaphor for describing happiness, health and positivism against the darker, less happy times, neither can exist without each other.

newpics 004, originally uploaded by grangearts.
The tree, another symbol of life and the transitions we go through, is seen to be growing from a book denoting the pleasure and importance of reading for many and of education as a means of broadening horizons.
The footsteps are supposed to represent recreation and enjoyment. Are they dancing or perhaps making their way to the bar?

fish, originally uploaded by grangearts.
The water pattern was designed to ebb and flow across the walls, seen as the essence of life by many and an essential part of the history and culture of Tyneside, it peters out finally and turns to sand bringing us to the idea that although nothing goes on for ever, the journeys we make as individuals are interconnected, valuable and as remarkable as the voyage that each grain of sand makes.”

ceramics and garden doors.1 jpg, originally uploaded by grangearts.