Nunthorpe Methodist Church

Claire Wilkinson, was an Art student at York St John University, when she unveiled her work of art at Nunthorpe Methodist Church in December 2006.

The project began in response to a university assignment specification to create a piece of art to go in a public place. I have always thought that the Methodist Church was a beautiful building and in that way it was one of my inspirations.

 The idea of using light as a theme developed because the window panels are particularly     suited to it. I was also conscious that the work would end up being exhibited during     Advent to Christmas and thought that it would therefore be appropriate to explore the theme of Christ as the Light of the World.

 As the work developed it became more meaningful to me than just another university     assignment and it has definitely become a personal testimony of faith. While I was     creating the digital photograph display for the launch event at the beginning of     December, the biblical texts and other quotations took on new meanings for me as     I matched them up with the photographs I had taken using strong floodlights and projected     images.

People who attended the event were encouraged to explore what was to many of them     a very familiar building in an unorthodox way, lying down on the floor and looking     at the view from under the pews for example, or focusing their eyes on the ceiling,     the reflection in a window or the shadows cast by the cross above the altar.

 My own eyes had been opened to a different way of looking at things and I wanted to share my perspective with others.

What are you wanting to achieve with your project?

My original intention was to explore different facets of Christ as light familiar and friendly as a candle on a birthday cake, probing and penetrating as a strong     torch beam which searches into people’s hearts and provides the answers to questions     and the solutions to problems, awesome and surprising as a firework display that     grabs your attention and fills you full of wonder and glaring and dazzling as a floodlight     which obscures the truth, is clothed in mystery and which puzzles and overwhelms us.

During and after the launch event many people told me how much the photographs and     quotations had moved them and challenged them, inspired them and made them think.  

Profound Light

I wanted the final piece to take this a step further. The message is that the light     must go out from the church into the world. My painting therefore is based on a digital     image of light shining out of the church window.

The location of the painting on the back wall of the church is significant in itself.     People will not see it as they enter the church, nor during the services, but they     will always see it as they exit and hopefully will be a constant reminder of the     mission of the people of the church to reflect Christ’s light and be a light for     the world themselves.

I have attended Nunthorpe Methodist since I was a baby. It is the church where I     was baptized, where I have grown up, where my faith has been nurtured. I knew straight     away that I wanted to give something back.

It didn’t stop me being nervous about asking the stewards for permission to proceed however, but I have to say that everyone has been incredibly supportive and encouraging.

Familiarity with the venue and its users has made it in some ways more demanding as I didn’t want to let them down but it has also been very satisfying.