String Art Cross
Inspired by that most famous of Bible verses, John 3:16 "For God so loved the world that he gave is only Son..." this string art piece transforms1960s craft into a Twenty-first Century art installation. It was installed on The Church on the Heath, Fleet 'Hope Wall' from March until September 2019.
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This piece was a collaboration between myself, my husband, Ross and Rosie Butler who is on the ministry team at Church on the Heath and with myself, is part of the creativity team. Using string and nails to create a cross had thematic undertones, and reminders that Jesus was 'strung up' and nailed to a cross. We choose a very simple, stark, impactful colour scheme, which was echoed in the vinyl lettering we had printed for this project.
Whilst we had a basic idea of the design, a simple heart in a cross, we did not know exactly how the stringing pattern would work. I had a basic template for where the nails would go which Ross followed. Ross stood back checking each movement whilst Rosie and I worked in tandem on either side of the cross to string it so that it was symmetrical. The pattern developed organically and we finished with that very padded looking heart.
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The impact was immediate. The public users of the building and church members alike frequently commented on how much they liked this piece.
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To finish off the installation, I wrote messages of hope and encouragement on the mirrors in the bathrooms in glass paint that remained there the entire time the piece was installed.