The art of looking sideways – and Easter basics

 

By Pip Herbert

 

Since its creation I have been involved in some shape or form with the Greenbelt Christian Arts festival. For the last ten years I have been part of the team that makes the grandstand and race course at Cheltenham less ‘concrete’ and severe and more of a 'festival.' Throughout the year people, plan, sew, build, paint items then we go a few days before the event and install - bunting, flags, sculptures and signs. Last year we had 700 meters of new bunting alone.

 
The festival has a new theme or strap line each year and we try to make at least some of our decorations tie in. Last year’s theme was 'standing in the long now' and I made half a dozen eight foot high Easter Island heads. Before that was ‘the rising son’ and I produced some large sundials. The theme this time round is 'The art of.'

This is what is says on the website about this year’s festival:-

Not just focusing on your destination
What you notice when you stop looking.
The place you arrive at which you never set out for.
The eureka moment, when you'd given up.
Below the radar, behind the scenes, above your head.
From left of field. (Or right)
The story, painting or song you made (Out of all the stories, paintings and songs you couldn't make.)
Everything in your peripheral vision. (When you are completely focussed ahead.)
The ideas you have. that you have no idea of.
Your thinking, when lateral.
Your wisdom, by accident.
The life you came upon while you had set out on another one.
The faith we have that we didn't know about.
The divine vision we glimpse in unexpected places.
The art of looking sideways.

As part of my preparations I thought it would be interesting to take some everyday objects we take for granted and get people to look at them again. To this end I sprayed a few things white. Just the shape was left, all colours, types of material, logos etc were covered, and items suddenly took on a much more interesting look.

 

As it was coming up to Easter I also realised that it could be used in church as a focus for our faith. Strip away all the cultural, religious & denominational trappings, and go back to the basics of Easter.

 

For the festival I was thinking of using large items, TV sets, wardrobes, chairs, garden tools etc. because you need to be bold when there are 20,000 people walking past. This Easter I have smaller items that will fit on a set of shelves discreetly in the corner, but the display is none the less thought provoking.

 
Does your life have any distinguishing shape to it that tells others of the faith/hope you hold inside, or are you indistinguishable from the rest, just like a series of cans that have been in a flood and had the labels washed off, no one can tell if they contain peas, strawberries or cat food?