Editor’s Note: This essay is an interesting provocation for church architects and liturgical artists. Fr. John Finley challenges us to rethink some of the normative materials and imagery used in our churches to better conform to the vision of Heaven described in scripture. I think there is much to be said for this approach, controversial […]
Although the arts play an inextricable part in the embodiment of Orthodox faith and culture, it is rare, at least in the anglophone world, to find events that draw together artists from a variety of disciplines into a single international event in support of their work. Indeed, the effort and support necessary for the organization […]
Between 2016 and 2018 I created a series of wall paintings with scenes from the Old Testament for the exterior walls of a chapel in Dordogne, France. The chapel is located in the Orthodox Monastery of the Transfiguration which was founded by Archimandrite Elie and is a dependency of the Monastery of Simonos Petras on […]
Editorial note: This is the third part of a series on the artistic path and iconographic legacy of Saint Sophrony the Athonite (1896-1993) as seen through a collection of monographs written by Sister Gabriela, a member of his monastic community in Essex, England. The previous articles, Seeking Perfection in the World of Art can be […]
As a designer of Orthodox churches, I am frequently asked whether a proposed church building will have good acoustics. Acoustics is a complex matter that cannot always be catagorized as simply “good” or “bad”. In order to shed some light on this topic, I am going to discuss the various acoustical characteristics encountered in churches, […]
My design work for Orthodox Churches has been featured in an article in The Pennsylvania Gazette, the magazine of University of Pennsylvania (my alma mater). It includes an interview discussing how I came to my vocation and my philosophy of traditional church design, followed by a lengthy excerpt from the book Charleston Fancy. I am […]
Andrew Gould, founder of the Orthodox Arts Journal, has been featured in a new work by popular architectural writer Witold Rybczynski. The author of over twenty bestselling books, Rybczynski’s latest work is called Charleston Fancy: Little Houses and Big Dreams in the Holy City. The book is a history of Charleston architecture, told through the […]
With great pleasure, I have developed a design for a new church for the Hermitage of the Holy Cross in West Virginia. In many ways, this design is the culmination of 15 years of thought, research, and experimentation on my part, and encapsulates the best of my ideas for Orthodox church design. I would like […]
In this 45-minute video, Jonathan Pageau interviews Andrew Gould, discussing his work and philosophy in the field of Orthodox church design as well as many other areas. It particularly addresses how Andrew adapts historical styles for modern needs, while keeping them fresh and approachable.
Editorial note: Due to its little-known subject matter and the book’s current limited availability in some regions, the following is a summary, rather than a standard review, of Seeking Perfection in the World of Art: The Artistic Path of Father Sophrony1 – Sister Gabriela’s monograph on the artistic journey and iconographic legacy of Elder Sophrony. […]