November 16, 2009

Peter Howson pulls out of Catholic Church commission

Filed under: Art News — Alan @ 4:40 am

phPeter Howson has decided not to paint a large canvas that would have had an estimated gallery value of about half a million pounds for the Catholic Church.

Originally he was commissioned to build a centrepiece for the Glasgow St. Andrew’s Cathedral as part of its new renovation once it opens next year by Archbishop Mario Conti, but he pulled out after he found out that he would not be paid for the work.

The church called the proposed artwork one of the most important commissions since the Reformation for a Scottish Catholic church, with an estimate of about 600 individual figures showcasing the martyrdom of St. John Ogilvie at the size of 24ft x 18ft. It would have the largest scene of its type in Scotland.

Archbishop Conti stated at the time of the commission that the opportunity to have Howson paint the memorial was due to his spirituality and artistic talent.

However, Howson told friends that he will not be completing the painting due to the fact that he is ill and drawing is difficult for him let alone painting. His friends stated that with his current problems, not to mention a police probe that was launched of his former manager, he will not be able to complete the painting for the cathedral.

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September 17, 2009

Catholic Church requests meeting with artists

Filed under: Art events — Alan @ 7:10 am

VATICAN POPEObviously trying to rebuild some bridges with the artistic community Pope Benedict XVI has sent out invitations to several hundred prominent artists requesting that they come to a meeting which is aimed at restoring a quality relationship between the Catholic Church and artists.

Included under art are not only painters and sculptors but also notable figures from music, acting and the written word. The Pope has selected an emotive and presumably inspirational location for this get-together under the roof of the Sistine Chapel and Michelangelo’s stunning religiously inspired works.

The November 21 meeting will be chaired by the Pontifical Council for Culture president, Archbishop Gianfranco Ravasi who has stated that this is just the first event in what will be a long-term goal of bringing together all kinds of artistic interpretation and Catholic spirituality.

He goes on to say that a good example of how the church and the artistic world have separated over the last hundred years is seen in the many functional, but ugly, church buildings that have been constructed.

He compares these buildings with the stark contrast to Michelangelo’s incredible frescoes that adorn the ceiling of where, poignantly, the meeting will take place. The incredibly diverse list of attendees may include Ennio Morricone, Bono and Bob Wilson.

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