Minor Arts
Improving Icon Carving Through Drawing
One of the complex questions that faces modern icon carving is the pervasive presence of the painted icon within the tradition of iconography. For many reasons which I hope to write about in the future, icon carving became a somewhat marginalized art form as the centuries advanced. And so for myself and the small group…
Continue reading »The Altar and The Portico (pt.2): Gallery Art
This is post 2 of 2 in the series “The Altar and The Portico” Aidan Hart explores the relationships and differences between sacred art and secular gallery art. The Altar and The Portico (pt.1) The Altar and The Portico (pt.2): Gallery Art THE SACRED AND THE SECULAR The Relationship of Orthodox Iconography and Gallery Art…
Continue reading »The Altar and The Portico (pt.1)
This is post 1 of 2 in the series “The Altar and The Portico” Aidan Hart explores the relationships and differences between sacred art and secular gallery art. The Altar and The Portico (pt.1) The Altar and The Portico (pt.2): Gallery Art THE ALTAR AND THE PORTICO (PT.1) The Relationship of Orthodox Iconography and Gallery…
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 »Carving the Virgin Hodegetria
(Editor’s note: this article was written by Martin Earle, Aidan Hart’s studio assistant who worked to create a commission they received for a statue of the Hodogetria. Martin can be contacted at mart_earle@yahoo.co.uk. ) I always brace myself for a bit of anti-Catholic sentiment when meeting an Orthodox Christian for the first time. A convert myself, I…
Continue reading »Two New Choros Chandeliers
I have had the opportunity recently to make and install two choros chandeliers, a type of fixture that is of particular interest to me as a designer. I have written previously about similar chandeliers I have installed in churches in Charleston, South Carolina, and Waldorf, Maryland, and I refer readers to those articles for information…
Continue reading »A Carved and Inlaid Cross, a Collaborative Work
I have recently completed a small but highly interesting project, two years in the making, and involving several master artisans. It is a wooden cross with carved stone icons, crafted like a jewel, wholly traditional, and yet quite unlike anything seen before. This is one of those projects that grew, perhaps providentially, from an initially…
Continue reading »Developing an Anglo-Byzantine Calligraphy for Memorial Plaques
I would like to describe an especially challenging recent project, in which I had the honor to collaborate with a master calligrapher. I was asked to create a pair of memorial plaques flanking an icon. The purpose was to commemorate donors who contributed to two separate capital campaigns benefitting Saint Nicholas Melkite Church, in Rochester,…
Continue reading »Lighting in Orthodox Churches: Liturgical Principles and Practical Ideas
What are we aiming to achieve when we choose lighting for an Orthodox church? We need a certain amount of light to see, but lighting also creates an ambience, helps to create an inner state. So what ambience are we seeking to create in our churches? These and other questions face parishes and monasteries when…
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:…
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