artpaper No13: Malta interview

13 has always been my Lucky Number!

Very honoured and excited to have been interviewed for @artpaper.press Malta for their 13th edition, which was published in late December 2020. The interview focuses on the immersive artist process needed to create revolutionary permanent public artworks within UK churches namely The ‘Reconciliation Reredos’ for historically significant St Stephen’s Church in Bristol, ‘The Eternal Engine’ for St Francis in London – the largest contemporary hand carved altarpiece in Europe and the ‘Stations of the Cross for Gloucester Cathedral. 

You can also read my response to the incredible visual culture, art and architecture of Malta that I had the pleasure to discover during my recent visit in September 2020! 

https://artpaper.press/interviews/consented-subversion/


VELLUM ISSUE 24, 2020

Vellum cover issue 24
Vellum cover issue 24

Check out my new exclusive and very extensive 2020 interview for NYC based Vellum Art Magazine! The interview begins with questions about my influences growing up second generation Caribbean in a small industrial English town to projects surrounding monuments to 18th century traders, the importance and process of creating engaging public art and the Artist as potential cultural bridge builder. Enjoy!

“Very excited to release Vellum 24 in these extraordinary times. Our curatorial project deals with Human Nature and I think you will find it interesting. We also interviewed Graeme Mortimer Evelyn an amazing artist I met in London who creates truly inspiring work. I felt it would only be appropriate to offer the electronic version of the issue for free. But you can also order a paper copy and if you use promo code “Inspire” can snatch a 20% discount until June 29th.” Stephanie Young – Vellum Magazine


Following the removal of the Edward Colston statue during the recent Black Lives Matter Bristol UK Protests, I was compelled to record a visual message to the city that helped to nurture and support my contemporary art practice. Watch my YouTube video response from the Perspective of a Black British Artist to those that choose to remove public monuments.

THE LOCK KEEPERS SKETCHES

Casting Off The Transient Revealing The True MID

November 21 2017  – January 31 2018

Artist study works for The Eternal Engine, Britain’s largest contemporary altarpiece.
Exhibition at Loven Cafe/Wine Bar – St Francis at the Engine Room, Hale Village London.
Graeme Mortimer Evelyn spent nine months of the 12 month residency commission living in the Lock Keeper’s cottage on the canal in Hale Village. In the cottage he designed, researched and hand carved the large altarpiece wood panels, weighing over half a tonne and gained inspiration from the local community, history and environment.In these months, Evelyn created a number of finished study works he often refers to as ‘sketches’ and other prior works utilized as research that have directly informed the central commission, with choices of material, drawing style, context, concept and sculptural design.
Since 2014 Evelyn has been exploring mergers of automatic experimental drawing, audio/visual technology and relief sculpture informed by his Synaesthesia reactions stimulated by audio, sound and music as a body of work entitled, Inward Gaze, Outward Focus. Many of the studies and indeed the altarpiece design itself, have been inspired directly from these explorations.The principal study work for these series of ‘sketches’, Voyager – Pillars of Creation, is currently installed in the Chapel accompanied by Evelyn’s large thought provoking and arresting Stations of the Cross (2006) also installed within the Sanctuary Hall.
All of these works are available to purchase direct from the artist.
Price on Application on all artworks. Use contact link above
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WINTER 2017 ART UPDATE

ST FRANCIS AT THE ENGINE ROOM

BRITAIN’S LARGEST CONTEMPORARY ALTARPIECE THE ETERNAL ENGINE IS UNVEILED

“A sacred place, a sanctuary, is a place of regeneration, creativity and transformation”
Richard Giles
Meditations - The Eternal Engine - @StFEngineRoom Copyright © 2017 Graeme Mortimer Evelyn
Meditations -The Eternal Engine – St Francis at the Engine Room – Sanctuary Hall – Copyright © 2017 · All Rights Reserved · Graeme Mortimer Evelyn
READ LONDON DIOCESE PRESS RELEASE BELOW
New large-scale contemporary altarpiece by internationally renowned artist unveiled in first new purpose built London church in 40 years
Internationally renowned artist Graeme Mortimer Evelyn has unveiled the new altarpiece, or Reredos, at St Francis at the Engine Room after a year of living and working in Hale Village to create the altarpiece for the new church in Tottenham Hale. The Reredos, the largest contemporary altarpiece in the UK, was unveiled at the Grand Opening of St Francis at the Engine Room attended by David Lammy MP with leaders and members of the Tottenham Hale community.St Francis at the Engine Room is a community centre and the first new purpose built Anglican Church in London in almost 40 years. Spearheaded by the Diocese of London working in partnership with Lee Valley Estates, Newlon Housing Trust and London City Mission, it has been created to put a community resource and place of worship at the heart of the new housing development in the Hale Village.
Graeme Mortimer Evelyn was appointed to create the Reredos, entitled The Eternal Engine, in November 2016 and spent nine months living in the Lock Keeper’s cottage on the canal in Hale Village in order to hand carve the large wood panels of the altarpiece and gain inspiration from the local community, history and environment.
Reflections - The Eternal Engine - @StFEngineRoom Copyright © 2017 Graeme Mortimer Evelyn
Reflections -The Eternal Engine – St Francis at the Engine Room – Sanctuary Hall – Copyright © 2017 · All Rights Reserved · Graeme Mortimer Evelyn
Whilst working on the piece he was asked to mentor and advise a number of local artists. One of these, aged only 18 years went on to work as the project apprentice and, in a rare decision by an artist of this level, Evelyn allowed the congregation from St Francis to paint brushstrokes in the centerpiece, signifying the Creator, as a way to connect with a significant public artwork that will be a permanent reflection of their community.St Francis at the Engine Room is currently applying for a licence for the use and protection of the Church space. Once the licence is approved, Faculty will permanently protect the Sanctuary Hall, Chapel and Altarpiece.The Eternal Engine will be the largest contemporary altarpiece in the UK and potentially within Europe. To complete just one altarpiece in a modern artist’s lifetime is a very rare occurrence and this piece will be the second permanent contemporary altarpiece Evelyn has created.
Contemplations - Stations of the Cross @StFEngineRoom Copyright © 2017 Graeme Mortimer Evelyn
The Eternal Engine and Stations of the Cross @StFEngineRoom Copyright © 2017 Graeme Mortimer Evelyn
Contemplation – Stations of the Cross  – The Eternal Engine – St Francis at the Engine Room – Sanctuary Hall – Copyright © 2017 · All Rights Reserved · Graeme Mortimer Evelyn
The Diocese of London has also expanded the original commission to the artist. The large installation of the Stations of the Cross that accompanies The Eternal Engine altarpiece in the main Sanctuary Hall, and the principal study artwork for the commission, Voyager – Pillars of Creation, are both currently earmarked to be permanent works for St Francis at the Engine Room. This represents an historic unprecedented opportunity that a contemporary artist has been afforded singular vision for all artwork in a modern church setting and for the first Anglican Church built in London for over 40 years.
Voyager - Pillars of Creation @StFEngineRoom CHAPEL Copyright © 2017 Graeme Mortimer Evelyn
Voyager – Pillars of Creation – St Francis at the Engine Room – Chapel – Copyright © 2017 · All Rights Reserved · Graeme Mortimer Evelyn
Graeme Mortimer Evelyn, the artist commissioned to create the Reredos, said: “The inclusion that I’ve experienced in Hale Village for me is what London is all about – the fact that, as a Buddhist, I was commissioned to complete the first major permanent contemporary altarpiece (Reredos) in a new London church in over 40 years demonstrates the commitment here to welcome the whole community, irrespective of culture, ideology, race, class and diversity of thought. The Eternal Engine represents the unifying wonder of our vast Universe and the mystery of its Creator, together with Christian Trinity Theology of Redeemer, Creator, and Sustainer. It is very important to me therefore, and for the function of this work, to engage and involve in some way the people who live here in the creation of The Eternal Engine, as they should have ownership over it as a permanent reflection of their community, their unique history and their creative legacy.”The Revd Andrew Williams, Priest Missioner at St Francis at the Engine Room, said: “The opening of St Francis Church marks the first new, purpose built church in the Diocese of London in 40 years. We are so grateful to Graeme for creating such a striking piece of art for the Reredos that reflects the inclusive and creative nature of our community here. As the church and centre community grows and develops, we are looking forward to providing a dynamic communal space in Tottenham for generations to come.”
Apart from the inspiration of the mysteries of Creator, Space, Time and The Theology of the Trinity – the colours of The Eternal Engine have been directly informed by the Church’s close proximity to the Hale Village low income social housing area. The dimensions for the Altarpiece are approximately 5m x 3.5m and the artwork in total weighs over half a tonne.The opening of St Francis Church will mark the first new, purpose built church in the Diocese of London in 40 years. The opening will provide the Diocese with an opportunity to showcase its role in the capital, highlight the close partnerships it has built with other organisations, as well as the strength of engagement in a young and growing community. The Church and Community centre will provide a café, nursery, learning workshop, community space and permanent chapel.  There are already over 300 people accessing the centre’s activities each week.

NEW MAJOR PROJECT – ST FRANCIS AT THE ENGINE ROOM CONTEMPORARY ALTARPIECE

ST FRANCIS ETERNAL 6 MED
Detail of the design drawing for The Eternal Engine  – Copyright © 2017 · All Rights Reserved · Graeme Mortimer Evelyn
NEW MAJOR PERMANENT CONTEMPORARY ALTARPIECE COMMISSION
I am very pleased and delighted to announce my current commission for the Diocese of London to create the new permanent contemporary altarpiece (Reredos) The Eternal Engine  for St Francis at The Engine Room in Hale Village Tottenham, London. The hand carved, painted relief sculpture will be approximately 5 metres x 3 metres in scale and will be one of the largest permanent contemporary sculpture works  ever installed within a sacred space in the UK. It will also represent the second Church of England altarpiece commission I have received, following the unveiling in 2011 of the Reconciliation Reredos  for the historic St Stephens Church in Bristol.

St Francis at the Engine Room is a community centre and the first new Anglican Church to be erected in London in almost 40 years. Spearheaded by the Diocese of London working in partnership with Lea Valley Estates, Newlon Housing Trust and London City Mission. It has been created to put a community resource and place of worship at the heart of the new housing development in the Hale Village.

Hale Village is located just across the road from where the Police shooting of Mark Duggan on the border of the Ferry Lane estate in August 2011 sparked widespread riots that affected not just the whole of London, but also other major cities across the UK.

St Francis at the Engine Room COMMUNITY

 The Engine Room serves Hale Village Estate, and the neighbouring estate of Ferry Lane, which is more established. The wider area is among the 10% most deprived in England, with the highest indices of deprivation relating to income, housing and services. It includes high numbers of elderly people living alone single parent households, households with children but no adults in employment and households that include a disabled person.

The Engine Room in Tottenham Hale is an innovative response to development-led change in London. Working with the developers and housing providers, the Diocese of London has sought to provide a new church and community space in the development as it is being built, as a response to the needs of the community in this context.

St Francis at the Engine Room ARCHITECT RENDER

Local Church of England churches have a very positive track record of helping communities in practical ways, providing safe spaces for children to learn and play, supporting refugees and helping unemployed people to obtain new skills and get back to work. St Francis at the Engine Room works towards being a valuable investment in the lives of local people, engaging a diverse population in creating welcoming communities and spaces, as well as contributing towards breaking barriers of social isolation and ethnic divides.

My intention is that The Eternal Engine will not only serve as the welcoming, universal and bridge building focal point of St Francis at the Engine Room, but also reflect the lived experiences of those in the community. I am very humbled to be given the opportunity and responsibility to visually represent the important work The Engine Room does to support, lift and inspire those who live in Hale Village London, whilst representing a lasting legacy of diverse community unity for many others, into the foreseeable future.

St Francis at the Engine Room is scheduled to be opened in September 2017.