By way of introduction.
The idea of a cycle of paintings centred round the theme of a journey
occurred
in early 1978, as I was travelling on the train, down through the hills of the
Peak District from Buxton, where I then lived, to Manchester. I recognised that
my habitual excitement at going up to a big city, typically London, from a
provincial home, had a dimension to it that was far from mundane for it had to
do with self discovery, an exploration of the Reality at the centre of me. And I
hoped, that by exploring through paint, the surface reality of travelling to a
big city and of the city itself, I would discover a mythic dimension that would
bring me nearer that spiritual reality which the excited expectancy of the
journey promised.
Shortly after deciding that my next major exhibition would be centred round
this theme life entered on a turbulent period which stripped us financially,
lasted some seven years and during which I exhibited little and painted even
less. However it was in many ways a growing time when I was forced to examine
all my beliefs and assumptions and when I started painting again in earnest in
1985, 'The Journey' became the vehicle by which I explored and which I continue
to explore my spiritual, and human reality. Consequently, the paintings that
make up 'The Journey', have no clear message or conclusion, at best they form a
record of meditated experiences. I hope that in exhibiting 'The Journey' in
non-commercial and prayerful venues, others will find in one or more of the
individual works a mirror to their own journeys, spiritual or otherwise, that
will enrich their experience of life as a mythic process of growing self
awareness and recognition of God's love for them. For if there is one thing I
have grown in understanding it is this unconditional love that God, by what ever
name we call him, has for each and every individual and his creation in general.
Indeed it is the only thing about which I feel certain.
The Paintings (you can now view the whole cycle by going to
The Paintings page)
Just two works, 'At the station' and 'On the train', were painted in Buxton,
the rest of the work has been produced since 1985, the date when our lives
became settled and reasonably secure again.
In 'The Journey', a key work of 1986, I was concerned to create a complex
compendium painting that could be read at a number of different levels. As well
as a representation of the journey down from Buxton to Manchester or London with
references to those relatively superficial experiences of gazing out of the
carriage window and seeing the everyday activities of people in the hills,
fields and back-gardens we passed by, a vision of those things that make a city
for me, the bustle and excitement, the grand architecture of cathedral, museum
and art gallery, hotels, tenements, and the shadow side of the red light
district, it should also include a reference to an interior journey, related to
the archetypal snake that has figured so potently in my dream life and in some
sense it should be a self portrait. The initial sketches provided a basis, but I
could not see a way
forward and in desperation I decided, contrary to previous
practice, to draw up in charcoal what I had on the canvas and hope I might see
something come through before starting the painting. My manner of working
requires that the initial drawing to be right for I can not alter it later.
Several weeks of intense watching, drawing and rubbing out on the canvas finally
yielded what I have always considered one of my happiest compositions. Now, with
all large works, I tend to work in that way. Painting for me, is very much a
dialogue with an inner reality via the mirror of the canvas. Drawing and
particularly with brush and paint is very much a physical even sensual
experience and I consciously attack the canvas now with short straight strokes,
then with firm curves and again using a sinuous or dancing approach. But there
are also aesthetic concerns about view point, architecture and the relationships
between fore and background and, very importantly, the composition and frame.
For me a painting is not a window onto a scene, but a totality in which a unity
of composition is central and paintings like 'The Terminus', 'Cathedral Square',
'Hotel Paramount' and 'Heavenly Jerusalem', while packed with anecdotal
incident, centre on a simple compositional gesture.
An image that occurs frequently in many of the paintings and on its own is
'The Man in a Garden'. During our years of turmoil we attended a house mass,
celebrated by a priest who had great spiritual presence. After reading
the gospel, he sat quietly, meditating, foursquare, his hands on his knees, his
head slightly bent. It was a posture of solid and serene monumentality that one
associates with Millet's peasants. For me it was an image of wholeness which, in
a sense, is the goal of the journey. Each time I paint the subject I get fresh
insights into both my inner state and that to which I aspire.
In 1988, it occurred to me that the concept of 'The Journey' lacked a basic
rhythmic spine that could best be provided by the simple traditional liturgy of
'The Stations of the Cross' . In contrast to the often complex and frankly
cerebral compositions of the larger works I decided that the Stations should be
direct and simple statements of the human emotions and feelings encountered as
Christ made his journey to Golgotha, death and the Resurrection.
There is of course the shadow side to my journey, the destructive threat of a
rampant unconscious, (cf. 'The Train' and 'The Egg'), which I experience in my
dreams of snakes and being lost in a labyrinth, and in my awake time, in an
urgent sexuality demanding acceptance. There is, I think, a mythic dimension to
human sexuality that could integrate us into natural world around us and the
universe at large and which contemporary thought ignores at great peril to, not
only our civilisation, but, perhaps more importantly, life itself. 'I visit the
Woman', 'Descent and 'The Nest' are the negative expressions and explorations of
this deeply felt concern. (I hope, in a new cycle of paintings under the
provisional title of 'The Green Man', to explore this area more positively and
comprehensively.)
Central to the 'The Journey' is an attempt to accept myself as both human
and, in Christ, called to divinity. The great tension of my life and that which
provides the dynamic to my creativity, is my struggle to reconcile the chthonic
and sexual essence of my humanity with the deeply felt call to become one with
Christ. In painting 'Christ in the Garden of my Soul' I came most closely to
seeing a possibility of such a reconciliation.
(c) Peter Clare 1992
Since I wrote that in 1992 in preparation for the first exhibitions of 'The
Journey' the cycle has been exhibited in over 18 different cathedrals and
churches around the country as well as being used in retreat houses as a focal
point to Ignatian style, individually guided residential retreats as well as
being used in a similar way in prayer workshops in the venues where it has been
exhibited. (For a list of the major places please refer to the Biography.)
In that year of 1992 I became aware of the plight of the Street Children of
South America and resolved that a condition of exhibiting paintings provision
should be made to collect money to aid projects aimed at relieving that plight.
Given my inexperience and lack of the right kind of skills I chose to work with
the aid agencies of CAFOD and Christian Aid to channel whatever funds we managed
to raise. So far around £5000 has been raised.
In 1995 in order take the pressure of seeking new venues and the administration
load that goes with exhibiting a committee was set up. This is called 'The
Friends of The Journey' (FoJ), has as its aim ‘the promotion of Christian
Spirituality and the relief of Street Children by the exhibition of the work of
contemporary religious artists.’ and meets three times a year. We are
pleased to have the help of a Christian Aid officer on that committee. The
committee has managed to raise some £8000 in grants to fund the production of a
full colour catalogue of the paintings, exhibition stands and lighting which have
significantly enhanced the presentation of the paintings.
As a way to financing my work now and in the future I have arranged that
individually signed, A3 colour prints of all the paintings in the cycle be
available for sale at £6.00 each plus post and packing. See the Colour prints
page at this site.
If you would like to help or have ideas where 'The Journey' might be
exhibited do please contact the FoJ Chairman/secretary:
Bob Hale, 5
Land Oak Drive, Kidderminster,
DY10 2ST
