• Sacred space illuminated by the perfect insect 1
  • Sacred space illuminated by the perfect insect 2
  • close up
  • Installation in Gloucester Cathedral
  • Invitation to the Open West award winners' show

Sacred space illuminated by the perfect insect

Whitepen drawing on black paper, 150cm x 100cm

The interface between Nature and the Sacred becomes ever more poignant as the world witnesses the desecration and reduction of biodiversity. With this in mind, James P Graham developed a project inspired from the observation of fireflies whose syncronous flashing seemed to relay a complex energy or ‘essence’. The resulting drawings are constructed from repeating gestures made with a fine white inked pen. The marks become more concentrated towards the centre of the paper giving the work a mesmeric and meditational feel.

Working at a critical time artists operate within a society which has awarded them high ‘taboo free’ status within cathedral-like spaces where they can create their alchemical marks and interventions. These hermetic places give them an impermeable moral and ethical liberty to visit and comment on any issues – with all the artworks sheltered under ‘Art’s’ precarious protection. Art is called to question but not obliged to answer!