The Litany
‘The Litany’ is the exploration through mixed media of a series of images based on part of the Litany. The intention is to evoke a response, which will lead to an awakening of spiritual experience, a questioning of belief and pre-conceived ideas of the meaning of the litany.
This will demonstrate to the browser that there are many ways of interpreting and viewing well-established and familiar sets of words. The images are intended to be open to interpretation by those viewing the work, which is why the images have no title, although there is a copy of the words for people to use as they view the artwork.
This is a developing journey from dark negative images through to light and positive images from our world.
This installation is the culmination of four months work on study leave, which began in April and finished at the beginning of August 2009. It is approx 35 feet long, 5 feet high and 2.5 feet deep, and is funded jointly by grants from the Diocese, Ecclesiastical Insurance and from St. Boniface Trust.
Revd. Stephen Williams: having trained as a graphic designer and typographer at Liverpool College of Art and Preston Polytechnic, he worked in industry as a designer for a year before training to teach at St. Katharine’s College of Education, Liverpool, where he specialised in printmaking, painting and sculpture. He also taught at Speke Comprehensive School, Liverpool from 1973 – 1999, during which time he gained a B.A. degree from the Open University in the History of Architecture and Design.
He has exhibited at the Pentagon Gallery, Stoke on Trent and was a member of the Society of Graphic Artists and exhibited at the Mall Galleries in London with a number of works being shown in private collections.
Revd. Williams has worked in various media including printmaking, 3D, painting, designs for glass etchings and digital drawings but now mainly focuses in acrylics on canvas, with work being exhibited on two art gallery web sites.
He has also produced designs for two large glass panels in the entrance vestibule of St Columba Church, Anfield in Liverpool and a large glass screen at the entrance to the ringing chamber at St. Mary’s Church in Walton, Liverpool.
His skills have allowed him to lead workshops and activity sessions in art and design for both adults and children, the latest being the banner making workshop at the Walsingham day at the Cathedral in October of this year.
His Ministerial career has been varied, but has been mainly focussed on the Merseyside area, having been trained for ministry on the Northern Ordination Course, ordained Deacon in 1996 and then priested in 1997. He served as an NSM at St. Basil and All Saints, Widnes, Merseyside and then, when offered stipendiary ministry, he left his teaching post at Speke Comprehensive in July 1999, moving to serve as a curate at Christ Church, Padgate, Warrington for a two year period. He was then appointed as incumbent of St. John the Evangelist, Walton in north Liverpool in 2002 and worked in the Lifelong Learning department of the Diocese as an officer for PIME from 2002 until April 2009.
He is married to Barbara and they have two grown children; Paul who is a screen writer and play write and Sarah who is a teacher, and they also have a wonderful dog called Barney.
About the Litany
In Christian worship, the Litany is a form of prayer consisting of a number of petitions. The word comes from the Latin litania, from the Greek λιτή (litê), meaning "prayer" or "supplication".
Only two sections have been used in this series of images and these can be read here to use as you view the images.
Section 2
From all evil and mischief;
from pride, vanity and hypocrisy;
from envy, hatred and malice; and from all evil intent.
From sloth, worldliness and love of money;
from hardness of heart and contempt for your word and your laws.
From sins of body and mind;
From the deceits of the world, the flesh, and the devil.
From famine and disaster;
from violence, murder and dying unprepared.
In all times of sorrow;
in all times of joy;
in the hour of death,
and at the day of judgement.
By the mystery of your holy incarnation;
by your birth, childhood and obedience;
by your fasting and temptation.
By your ministry in word and work;
by your mighty acts of power; and by your preaching of the kingdom
By your agony and trial;
by your cross and passion; and by your precious death and burial.
By your mighty resurrection;
by your glorious ascension; and by your sending of the Holy Spirit
Section 7
Give us true repentance
Forgive our sins of negligence and ignorance and our deliberate sins;
and grant us the grace of your Holy Spirit to amend our lives
according to your holy word.
Holy God
Holy and strong
Holy and immortal
Have mercy upon us
Display pictures follow here, then click below to hear Stephen's interview on radio Merseyside, broadcast on Sunday, 21st March 2010.
This will demonstrate to the browser that there are many ways of interpreting and viewing well-established and familiar sets of words. The images are intended to be open to interpretation by those viewing the work, which is why the images have no title, although there is a copy of the words for people to use as they view the artwork.
This is a developing journey from dark negative images through to light and positive images from our world.
This installation is the culmination of four months work on study leave, which began in April and finished at the beginning of August 2009. It is approx 35 feet long, 5 feet high and 2.5 feet deep, and is funded jointly by grants from the Diocese, Ecclesiastical Insurance and from St. Boniface Trust.
Revd. Stephen Williams: having trained as a graphic designer and typographer at Liverpool College of Art and Preston Polytechnic, he worked in industry as a designer for a year before training to teach at St. Katharine’s College of Education, Liverpool, where he specialised in printmaking, painting and sculpture. He also taught at Speke Comprehensive School, Liverpool from 1973 – 1999, during which time he gained a B.A. degree from the Open University in the History of Architecture and Design.
He has exhibited at the Pentagon Gallery, Stoke on Trent and was a member of the Society of Graphic Artists and exhibited at the Mall Galleries in London with a number of works being shown in private collections.
Revd. Williams has worked in various media including printmaking, 3D, painting, designs for glass etchings and digital drawings but now mainly focuses in acrylics on canvas, with work being exhibited on two art gallery web sites.
He has also produced designs for two large glass panels in the entrance vestibule of St Columba Church, Anfield in Liverpool and a large glass screen at the entrance to the ringing chamber at St. Mary’s Church in Walton, Liverpool.
His skills have allowed him to lead workshops and activity sessions in art and design for both adults and children, the latest being the banner making workshop at the Walsingham day at the Cathedral in October of this year.
His Ministerial career has been varied, but has been mainly focussed on the Merseyside area, having been trained for ministry on the Northern Ordination Course, ordained Deacon in 1996 and then priested in 1997. He served as an NSM at St. Basil and All Saints, Widnes, Merseyside and then, when offered stipendiary ministry, he left his teaching post at Speke Comprehensive in July 1999, moving to serve as a curate at Christ Church, Padgate, Warrington for a two year period. He was then appointed as incumbent of St. John the Evangelist, Walton in north Liverpool in 2002 and worked in the Lifelong Learning department of the Diocese as an officer for PIME from 2002 until April 2009.
He is married to Barbara and they have two grown children; Paul who is a screen writer and play write and Sarah who is a teacher, and they also have a wonderful dog called Barney.
About the Litany
In Christian worship, the Litany is a form of prayer consisting of a number of petitions. The word comes from the Latin litania, from the Greek λιτή (litê), meaning "prayer" or "supplication".
Only two sections have been used in this series of images and these can be read here to use as you view the images.
Section 2
From all evil and mischief;
from pride, vanity and hypocrisy;
from envy, hatred and malice; and from all evil intent.
From sloth, worldliness and love of money;
from hardness of heart and contempt for your word and your laws.
From sins of body and mind;
From the deceits of the world, the flesh, and the devil.
From famine and disaster;
from violence, murder and dying unprepared.
In all times of sorrow;
in all times of joy;
in the hour of death,
and at the day of judgement.
By the mystery of your holy incarnation;
by your birth, childhood and obedience;
by your fasting and temptation.
By your ministry in word and work;
by your mighty acts of power; and by your preaching of the kingdom
By your agony and trial;
by your cross and passion; and by your precious death and burial.
By your mighty resurrection;
by your glorious ascension; and by your sending of the Holy Spirit
Section 7
Give us true repentance
Forgive our sins of negligence and ignorance and our deliberate sins;
and grant us the grace of your Holy Spirit to amend our lives
according to your holy word.
Holy God
Holy and strong
Holy and immortal
Have mercy upon us
Display pictures follow here, then click below to hear Stephen's interview on radio Merseyside, broadcast on Sunday, 21st March 2010.
| Stephen's Interview - Radio Merseyside |
