...MY OH MY SWEET ANGEL .......

....................and following the thread of the last two or three postings on The Way of the Pilgrim we finally got to London to see the last days of a couple of exhibitions , one at the British Museum and one at the National.

The one at the  British Museum , ' Treasures of Heaven ' was an interesting exposition of ' saints , relics and devotion in medieval Europe ' , putting them into both a social and religious context , The early section covered the ' pilgrimage ' , which , quite apart from relics providing both a pretext and and an objective for the pilgrim to journey to a place , a location empowered by a physical remnant of a holy figure , gave rise to the obtaining of the ' token ' , the proof that one had indeed made the pilgrimage - and thus begat the ' souvenir ' . The relics themselves became increasingly venerated in their own right , becoming more and more embellished ; what I had not realised was that Saint Chapelle in Paris , perhaps the finest piece of ' stained-glass architecture ' was essentially constructed as a shrine , an enclosure , for the ' Crown of Thorns '.

  Perhaps the most poignant moving section of the exhibition for me , however , was the final room : having moved through room after room of dark theatrical spaces , the lights glinting off gold , silver and jewel-encrusted works you finally entered into an austere plain white room sans any decorative elements - the world of English Protestantism and iconoclasm , wood prints clearly illustrating this world of Henry V111 with paintings , sculptures , altarpieces , entire buildings being torn down , removed , destroyed , and leaving you wondering just how much of England's medieval artistic/architectural heritage was lost to the whim of a king wanting a divorce.

From here , then , to the National Gallery to see ' Devotion by Design ' , a detailed exhibition of Italian altarpieces prior to 1500 - their design , construction and in some cases their deconstruction and subsequent history as relics cut adrift from their original conception. Detailed forensic analysis allowed the curators the opportunity to investigate three or four altarpieces in depth , describing both the visual organisation and physical design of essentially ' multiple ' works of devotional art , artistic and stylistic changes to accord with changing tastes , and in some cases the wholesale breaking up and dispersal of works when they were deemed to no longer represent the prevailing artistic milieu . The setting was particularly atmospheric , the altarpieces being set in darkened rooms , abstract church settings , lit by candlelight , the altarpiece in its formal setting above an altar , suitably accompanied by cross and chalice , the altarpiece formally constructed to house a relic.

The relics and crosses from the ' Treasures Of Heaven ' exhibition could now be understood and appreciated in their proper liturgical context .

....I'M A BELIEVER...................

' BERNADETTE , people are searchin' for....... '

......and I suppose after the recent postings on pilgrims and the Camino ( and with a minor diversion for the King of the Road ) I should post a blog on Lourdes whilst we are still in the south-west of France.........although for various reasons Lourdes is not on any of the pilgrim routes through to Spain .

The pilgrim routes through France have been travelled now for well over one thousand years - Lourdes as a place of pilgrimage has existed for not much more than 150 years or so , and once you are through Lourdes then there is no path over the Pyrenees into Spain at this point . Further , its arrival as a pilgrimage destination in the 1860s / 1870s coincided with the advent of the railway system providing an easily accessible means of mass transport , so as a pilgrimage destination it grew rapidly without the culture of having to walk to it. Finally , of course , Lourdes exists as a destination for the poor , the sick , the lame , the infirm , all looking for healing - 40 days or so walking along the Camino tests even the fittest.

Lourdes is a small market town nestling in the foothills of the Pyrenees with a population of around 15,000 - with 270 or so hotels and an annual pilgrimage population of some 5,000,000 through the year. Given that the first visitations occurred in 1858 , there are  really no earlier pilgrimage buildings other than the shrine and the basilica - and to my mind the basilica captures the worst excesses of late 19th century French Decorative style . The whole structure , together with the esplanade in front of it , looks like something from the studios of Disney should they choose to do ' ShrineWorld '.............ghastly .............and anything and everything that can be sold IS sold , complete with the ' Lourdes ' brand logo .

The whole place , to me , exhibits the worst excesses of rampant commercialism , with certainly no redeeming  features of note either in its architectural styling or in its religious iconography . Visually quite appalling , the extremes of ' kitsch ' styling triumph over any underlying attempt at harmony and order.. No peace and quite here , no contemplative silence.

And yet .........and yet...........the atmosphere of emotion , of hope and belief is almost visceral in its intensity . Hope is in the air ?......hhhhmmmm.............a Japanese scientist - a Dr Masaru Emoto - has discovered that crystals formed in frozen water reveal changes when specific , concentrated thoughts are directed towards them . He found that water from clear springs and water that had been exposed to loving words shows brilliant, complex and colourful snowflake patterns . In contrast polluted water or water exposed to negative thoughts forms incomplete , asymmetrical patterns with dull colours. The water in Lourdes is spring water and constantly exposed to positive , loving words through prayer ; tens of thousands visit the spring each day and most likely energise the water with their prayers......................

......And so what if...............? ..........maybe the power of belief does work............and maybe some things should remain mysterious , miraculous.............

Maybe love IS all you need .

.....KING OF THE ROAD.........

.....Cometh the hour , cometh the man , and with all the eyes of the world on him Mark Cavendish duly delivered , winning the Blue Ribbon event of the cycling world - the World Championship Road Race , over 260km last weekend in Copenhagen . 

Make no mistake , this was the big one , the one every one wants to win. The Olympics don't mean too much in the world of road racing , as they don't in the worlds of tennis or football . This one is the real deal , the one along with the Tour De France that everyone is measured by . So now Cavendish has the rainbow jersey of the World Champion to add to his green Jersey and 20 stage wins in the Tour........the first Uk road Race champion for 46 years , and everyone rode their heart out for him - Wiggins , Thomas , Stannard , Froome , Hunt , Cummings and David Millar . He didn't let them down ................and credit to David Millar for being team leader on the road - this was most definitely a team effort .

So now the UK really does have a genuine world champion..............he must be favorite for Sports Personality of the Year , now.............................mustn't he ?

.....SPANISH STROLL , spanish stroll...........

.....' I am a Pilgrim , and a stranger.....
      Travelling through this wearisome land '..........

.......And so , picking up the trail from the previous posting , we headed down into Pamplona. The centre , the old town , still retains its character , and we duly sat and had a beer at Hemingway's favorite bar , Cafe Iruna............. 

.......and at least they have the sense to leave these bars as they are - there are very few traditional pubs now left in the UK other than ones preserved by English Heritage - ' The Vines ' and ' The Philharmonic ' in Liverpool , the ' Crown ' in Belfast .

Early the following morning we entered Pamplona Cathedral as it was opening , and for an hour or so had the place pretty much to ourselves , wandering around and appreciating the many chapels and altarpieces. The cathedral has been restored in recent years , particular attention being given to the lighting , and the re-painting of certain architectural features has been carried out with sensitivity. The side chapels house some particularly interesting pieces , and the whole interior felt that morning very uplifting.

This piece in particular caught my eye - its the Reredos of Christ of Caparroso - a Flemish piece from the late 15th century . The sixteen panels are formally structured in four rows of four , each panel depicting a prophet from the Old Testament , and whilst each panel adheres to the same design each one is different , interpreting the formal discipline in its own way . Over these is laid a carving of Christ on the Cross , perhaps not as accomplished as the previous example at Roncevalles but extremely moving in its setting.

Further on through the Cathedral , at the far end of the Canons' dormitory , now a  museum devoted to musical instruments used by the clergy , we came across the Chapel of Pedro de Roda - completely bare other than two simple statues , lit by alabaster windows and with a recording of gregorian / moorish plainsong quietly playing ; peaceful  and quiet , the atmosphere was sublime .

Leaving Pamplona - regretfully - we travelled on along the Camino to Puenta La Reina , where the last of the main pilgrim routes - this time from Arles via the Col du Somport and Jaca ,joins the main path . The Church of the Crucifix welcomes travellors , and there is a most impressive gilded altar piece taking up the whole of the end wall..............

.......and the floor ............just a wooden , timber floor , but have another look at it - an oak floor with boards some 600mm  or so wide . Kiln dried oak boards 600mm wide ? ...in this day and age irreplaceable .

.....and finally , at the end of the Rua Major , the wondeful Romanesque pilgrims bridge out over the Rio Arga and on towards Santiago. This is as far as we got this time , but maybe next year ..............who knows ?

 ...A brief note on the upcoming Film of the Week - you will have missed it , everyone will have missed it as it only had a limited release , ie. one wet thursday to an art house cinema in London to about seven people , but no worries - it's out on DVD at the end of October ......and Martin Sheen DID walk The Way..... Enjoy.



......I AM A PILGRIM.........

' I am a pilgrim, and a stranger.
 Travelling through this wearisome land........'

........Walking the Camino de Santiago , out of St Jean Pied de Port up to Roncesvalles , on to Pamplona and Puenta la Reina............the Camino is probably the most travelled pilgrim route in Europe , having being walked by pilgrims for more than a thousand years as they make their way across to Santiago de Compostela, and this year we walked parts of it..........

Well, maybe a few parts of it ; the routes pass fairly close to where we live in the Bearn , and about 10k south of us two or three routes join up just beyond Saint-Palais to take the path down to St Jean Pied de Port , the accepted starting point for the journey through Spain..........and all along the way are pilgrim chapels , churches and cathedrals , guiding the traveller on his wearisome way.

A mornings walk out of Saint-Palais , just before the refuge at Ostaba , we came across Saint Nicholas d'Harambeltz priory-hospital , of which the chapel and the four houses of the last brothers remain ; a respite and shade for the traveller.

A small stone-built chapel with no more than five or six rows of plain pews on either side , the ceiling was semi-circular , clad in timber boards and painted out with the sun and moon symbols either side of a medallion. The end wall was clad with the decorated screen as shown , the Virgin Mary flanked by two saints , the figure of Christ on the Cross over. The screen was showing signs of wear , the colours faded , but the peace and calm suggested a chapel much loved............very simple but very moving , and just to find it in the middle of the countryside. They say 100,000 walk the Camino every year , now , so I suppose it is not that isolated , but even so.......

Onwards through St Jean Pied de Port and after the long hard climb up the valley - a trek in one day of some 25k - you arrive at Roncesvalles , the Albergue and the Collegiate Church of St Mary, consecrated in 1219......the church is plain and simple , unadorned gothic - apart from the most splendid display of both large and small Rose windows.....and in a side aisle to the right of the alter a shrine to the Pilgrim , in a gilded alter piece.

...........and to the right of this shrine . in a chapel again to itself , a rather fine carving of Christ on the Cross.



The Spanish tradition / genre of religious polychromatic carvings is not at all well documented in the general history of western european art , and it was not until we visited ' The Sacred Made Real ' exhibition at the National Gallery in London at the start of 2010 that we were aware of it at all . The exhibition was an eye-opener ; this was the first time that many of the sculptures had been seen outside Spain, and the setting - the exhibition space for once quite dark and dramatic - added to the sense of mystery and wonder.

.....and having seen the exhibition in London , to now see the carvings here in Spain , the sculptures in their proper context , made the experience all the more rewarding. The relative darkness of the church after the brightness of the afternoon sun , the quiet , the sense of peace and contemplation.............

..........and so onwards , then , to Pamplona ........leaving the Church at Roncevalles you are confronted by the somewhat comforting site of a road sign announcing ' Santiago de Compostela 790 Km '........

...........onwards , then - at least untill the next blog................

....PAPERBACK WRITER.....

As an avid reader of books I must admit to not having embraced the world of electronic books all that easily...as a student in the sixties my cultural life was signposted by the Penguin and Pelican paperback imprint , at that time at the cutting edge for students - cheap , available and required reading .

The pelican series brought you R.D.Laing , Theo Crosby , Ivan Illich and others on a monthly basis , well printed and well designed.......the Penguin classics introduced texts by Camus , Satre , Hesse - and somewhere in there Marshall McLuhan as well .................all good stuff . Well designed and good covers that stood out amongst the relatively drab world of publishing in the sixties. So the advent of the Kindle and electronic publishing doesn't do a lot for me - where's the visual element ?

......And then I came across ' We Tell Stories ' .......What ? ...a web site of on-line stories - but told through the medium of the internet.....

.....try ' The 21 Steps ' by Charles Cumming - a story set in a familiar physical context  through the use of GPS devices...........this to me takes story-telling via electronic media to a whole new level ......... and the collection has been put together by no less than Penguin - reclaiming their future ! The tools that are used to tell tales are obviously evolving , more participatory and more engaging than just printed words or pictures . At the start of all new ideas , new media , its a question of trying out pretty much everything - some will stick , some won't.................but at least the future looks interesting.

check these stories out at www.http://www.wetellstories.co.uk/

.........and good reading

...SUMMER IN THE CITY..

Here in the main studio at RCA we have had an Interior Design student - Charlotte - on placement with us for a week , and she introduced me to the work of Simone Ridyard , an architect and artist based in South Manchester and a part-time tutor at MMU , introducing the students to the art of sketching - no computers in sight.

Anyone who is doing that has my full support - I only wish that I had the patience to contribute.

I really like Simone's watercolours , particularly the couple of series on Amsterdam and Manchester - I should really practise a lot harder and get out more , as this degree of skill doesn't come easily.

Check out Simone's website at http://www.simoneridyard.co.uk/