The Phoenix has risen from the ashes.: Hermon "Light and Dark" 26.9.13

Myself and Andrew Argyle were approached by artist Diana Baur, to document this event. The photo below is the frontage of Hermon Chapel at Oswestry, which is a Grade 2 listed building. The inside of this building was amazing to see. It was like stepping back in time, with it's balcony, its particular smells and atmosphere. Even the upstairs pews were what is called "box pews" with their own doorways. I felt quite privileged to be asked to photograph inside this building.

The above photo shows what the building looked like on the evening of the event.

The above images are of a particular artwork that I found interesting. This was situated at the entrance to the venue.

see website: www.jasdavidson.co.uk

"I first saw the work of Jas Davidson around 2006, when I visited The Mill Studio at Queen's Head Oswestry to see see the Borderland Visual Arts group show. There were a few pieces of Jas's work on display, but much more interestingly there were more works of his in a back room that I was privileged to be able to see.

I remember the heads, referencing the futility of the deaths of young men in war, and was transfixed. I was currently taking the Btec in Fine Art at North Shropshire College, and had not even considered going on to take a B.A. Yet at Glyndwr University art department, known as North East Wales School of Art and Design (NEWI)

I later saw some of his other works, the Orc series a year after obtaining my Fine Art Degree in 2010, and after seeing a programme on the history of the fig leaf, I felt moved to comment on how I saw Jas's work fit in to our current thinking". by Diana Baur.

Above is a photo of Diana at work putting the finishing touches to her installation.

"Because my current M.A. Practice had taken me to a new arena exploring 3D paintings in the form of fabric pebbles - metaphors for mundane and unwanted thoughts that we carry around with us - and my research into the possible origins and meanings of abstract art in the works of early man, this opportunity was just what I needed. We needed meaningful projections, and so the idea of using photographs of Jas's heads in combination with the thoughts, started the ball rolling." By Diana

Many of these images feature the work of Diana Baur, together with the work of Jas Davidson. Diana's work, in the form of 3D installation are in front of Jas's work that had been projected onto the background against the walls.

I liked the way that the collaboration of each artists work complimented each other and created a beautiful visual experience, enhanced by the lights and the smoke effects.