Posts Tagged ‘iconostasis’
From Popsicle Sticks to Iconostasis: Art of an Argentine Master Craftsman
“As a child I was always trying to build things with my hands.” To satisfy his desire to make things and to keep her young son occupied while she was busy with household matters, his mother bought him a huge supply of popsicle sticks. Ulises Juarez Luna advanced from those hours spent constructing popsicle castles…
Continue reading »Iconostases in Balkan Churches – Part 2: Dečani Monastery
The iconostases of Dečani Monastery are of such overwhelming interest that they warrant their own post in my photojournalism series. Dečani was built in 1327-1331. Among the hundreds of monasteries built by the medieval kingdom of Serbia, it was the tallest and grandest. Today, it is also, miraculously, the best preserved, with an extraordinary collection…
Continue reading »Iconostases in Balkan Churches – Part 1: Serbia
Continuing my photojournalism series highlighting Balkan churches, this post features interesting iconostases I photographed in Serbia and in the Kosovo and Metohija region. These iconostases range from medieval to contemporary, and exhibit a remarkable range of styles. I find it fascinating to view them grouped together, and consider that there are such diverse solutions to…
Continue reading »Church Architecture in America: A Look at the Sanctuary from a Missionary Perspective
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…
Continue reading »A Professionally-Built Iconostasis for a Mission Church
The iconostasis featured here is the culmination of an idea I have been developing for several years. It is installed at Saint Matthew the Apostle Orthodox Church in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. I would like to tell the story of how it came to be, and discuss the problems it is meant to solve. The iconostasis…
Continue reading »A Retractable Icon Screen
Parishes in the Wilderness Orthodox parishes in Britain often have to share a church with Anglican parishes. Before each service they will usually need to set up all the furnishings and icons needed for Orthodox worship, then put them all away again at the end. It’s all quite tiring, both emotionally and physically, so the…
Continue reading »Building a Simple and Beautiful Iconostasis for a Mission Church
I have long felt that the iconostasis is the single most important element in an Orthodox church – perhaps more important even than the building itself. But tragically, in America, we have few really well-designed iconostases. This is especially so in mission churches, where iconostases are usually built by amateurs using plywood or worse (more…
Continue reading »Andrew Gould featured in Road to Emmaus Journal
I have had the great honor of being interviewed for the Road to Emmaus Journal. In June of this year, I spent a week with editor Mother Nectaria (McLees), discussing the art and architecture of the Orthodox Church. It was a marvelous and fruitful experience, and I am truly humbled that my words were found…
Continue reading »The Question of Polychrome – Part 2: Painting a Byzantine Analogion
This is post 2 of 2 in the series “The Question of Polychrome for Liturgical Woodcarving” Andrew Gould looks at the role polychromy has played in historical liturgical arts and how it can be adapted to contemporary designs. The Question of Polychrome for Liturgical Woodcarving – Part 1 The Question of Polychrome – Part 2:…
Continue reading »The Question of Polychrome for Liturgical Woodcarving – Part 1
This is post 1 of 2 in the series “The Question of Polychrome for Liturgical Woodcarving” Andrew Gould looks at the role polychromy has played in historical liturgical arts and how it can be adapted to contemporary designs. The Question of Polychrome for Liturgical Woodcarving – Part 1 The Question of Polychrome – Part 2:…
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