Gerard Stamp Isle of Light
Isle of Light Watercolours of Ely Cathedral by Gerard Stamp
Introduction Gavin Stamp
and most wonderful
Decorated — and surely the coldest building in
of our great cathedrals. I have never forgotten
all England — with its vast windows and the
my first sight of it, in mid-winter almost half a
poignant, mutilated
century ago. It then seemed incomprehensible,
beautiful sculpture.
ELY
IS THE STRANGEST
remnants of the most
as the train rattled north of Cambridge across
On many subsequent visits I learned more
the endless, dreary fens, that a great building
about the troubled history of the cathedral,
should be so remote. And then there it was,
about the large chunks of it that fell down
high on its island, seen across the then snow-
(a not-uncommon Mediæval experience) so
covered open meadow – that rare, precious
allowing the genius of Alan of Walsingham (if
asset in the heart of the town. It was the
it was he) to see how the collapsed crossing
skyline that was so extraordinary: the most
tower could be replaced by the vast octagonal
oddly shaped, composite tall tower to the west
space. It is a cathedral showing the best of
and then, much further along its long, bleak
every phase of the Mediæval: Norman, E.E.,
roofline,
unprecedented,
Dec., and then Perp. represented by those
weird shape of the Octagon lantern. And then
exquisite chantry chapels at the far, far end.
the interior: first the arrogant, brutal Norman
And I began to see how much the cathedral
nave marching relentlessly eastwards, eventual-
owed to the Victorians at their best, above all
ly opening out into the breathtaking open high
to the great, much maligned Gilbert Scott (who
space under that lantern, one of the greatest
replaced, as architect, poor George Basevi,
leaps of the imagination in all architectural
who fell to his death from scaffolding inside
history. And then the further delights, above
the west tower because he had his hands in his
all the spacious, semi-detached Lady Chapel,
pockets: be warned). It was Scott who so
that most elegant masterpiece of Flowing
brilliantly restored the Octagon, gave us the
the
astonishing,
timber screen in front of the wonderful old
its monumental, complicated and often gaunt
choir stalls, a splendid reredos, and some of his
architecture
magnificent metalwork. And, thinking of
woodwork, monuments and stained glass.
metal, I have always loved those magnificent
All this Gerard has caught so well in his
cast-iron Gurney cathedral stoves in the aisles,
superb paintings.
enhanced
by
good
fittings,
which still do their best to keep the cold at bay.
I am both flattered by and diffident about
As for Ely itself, the miserable small grey
my little brother asking me to write this
town huddled at the foot of the great
introduction to the catalogue of his latest
Cathedral, it seemed to me back then to give a
exhibition. Although our lives have taken very
convincing impression of what the Middle
different routes, we have much in common
Ages were like. The town today feels different:
when it comes to what we admire in architec-
less cold and bleak, more prosperous and
ture and painting. But there are seven years
expanding too fast and too much – so threaten-
between us, and that makes a difference
ing to spoil the precious distant views of the
(trying to think of other comparable siblings,
Cathedral. But there is still that glorious
unfortunately I came up with the Martins –
prospect of the irregular pile of grey stone
also seven years apart and, like us, cursed with
rising up, with its skyline of strange pinnacles
confusion by having the same initial for our
(one puzzlingly missing), seen to advantage
first name — John Martin, the great painter of
from the train window when travelling even
the architecturally sublime, and his bonkers
further north into the Fens. And the building
elder
itself is as powerful, as challenging, as
managed to burn down York Minster). Gerard
magnificent as ever, hardly spoiled by liturgical
recalls family holidays with visits to churches
experiment and trendy interventions – with
and cathedrals in France which started him
brother
Jonathan,
who
eventually
off, but I remember different holidays with
better. And it is now so very satisfactory that
our parents, and my own enthusiasms were
our separate but compatible architectural
really fired by being at school in South
enthusiasms
London while his formative experience was
glorious, incomparably strange and yet so
in Norwich: hence the love of East Anglian
beautiful Ely Cathedral – the perfect subject
ecclesiology which is so conspicuous in
for a romantic painter who understands and
his work.
responds so creatively to great and venerable
As I say, Gerard’s life and mine have gone
should
have
converged
on
buildings.
in very different directions. The first working part of his was alien to me, but what I so
GAVIN STAMP
admired was that, when he could, he gave up
Architectural historian and writer, whose recent
lucrative metropolitan existence and returned
books include ‘Gothic for the Steam Age; an
to Norfolk – and not just to enjoy sybaritic
illustrated biography of George Gilbert Scott’
leisure but to devote himself to something
and ‘The Memorial to the Missing of the Somme’.
really serious: painting. Even more admirable was the way he took this new (or revived) vocation so seriously, working hard and closely studying the best models, above all, the watercolours and etchings by that Norwich genius, John Sell Cotman. All this shows so happily in Gerard’s own work which, I have to say as a
bemused big brother, one that merely writes these days rather than makes, gets better and
1
The empty niche 2016 watercolour 57 x 64 cm
2
The Octagon 2016 watercolour 91 x 57cm
3
The Galilee Porch 2015 watercolour 81 x 65 cm
4
The Nave from the Crossing 2015 watercolour 65 x 83 cm
5
Steps to the West Tower 2015 watercolour 45 x 64 cm
6
Zig-zagging towards the Nave 2015 watercolour 63 x 44 cm
7
Light from the Octagon 2015 watercolour 61 x 79 cm
8
Lady Chapel windows 2015 watercolour 78 x 62 cm
9
A path to the Nave 2016 watercolour 57x43cm
10
A corner of the Lady Chapel 2011 watercolour 43 x 58 cm
11
Fen Gang 2009 watercolour 68x86cm
12
Blank arcading, West End 2016 watercolour 56 x 44 cm
13
Bishop Redman’s Tomb 2016 watercolour 45 x 57 cm
14
Ship of the Fens II 2016 watercolour 56 x 83 cm
15
Train Cityscape (Long after Ravilious) 2016 watercolour 56 x 43 cm
16
South Aisle from Bishop West’s Chapel 2012 charcoal 99 x 68 cm
17
The Gurney Stove, South West Transept 2016 watercolour 71 x 51 cm
18
Shadows from the Galilee Porch 2006 watercolour 53 x 33 cm
19
Towards the Nave 2006 charcoal 105 x 76 cm
20
Ship of the Fens 2016 watercolour 68 x 47 cm
21
South Aisle from Bishop West’s Chapel 2016 watercolour 61 x 44 cm
22
Through to the Nave, Ely 2012 watercolour 57 x 43 cm
Out of bounds to troops Norfolk’s forbidden churches
Introduction Gerard Stamp
the “glorious,
and protected by blast proof roof tiles. Rarely
strange and yet so beautiful Ely Cathedral” the
visited by the public, STANTA is somewhere I
following paintings are of rather more humble
always yearned to explore, partly because of the
churches not very far distant which are lucky to
lure of something ‘forbidden’ but also because
have survived at all.
of the sad story of the evacuation. In 2015 I
IN
STARK
CONTRAST
TO
In July 1942 the inhabitants of six Norfolk
was granted special access to create a series of
villages near Thetford were summoned to
paintings for an exhibition in Norwich,
meetings and told they would be evacuated.
entitled Ministries of Defence: Breckland’s Hidden
They had just three weeks to move out: the
Churches and Landscapes.
British Army was to take over 30,000 acres for
I was there two days in all, one of them
battle training leading up to the D-Day
entirely on my own. The experience was
invasion. Although rehoused, the villagers were
unforgettable: poignant, utterly quiet (this was
never allowed to return, and the army has used
during a break in military exercises!) and with a
the land for active training ever since.
melancholic beauty normally experienced in a
Nearly all the village buildings have long gone, but Stanford Training Area (STANTA)
ruin (although in its way, this is a ruin of a whole community on a vast scale).
still has four Mediæval churches: Stanford,
There has been another unexpected and
with its typical East Anglian round tower, 15th
extraordinary benefit of Army occupation:
century Tottington, extraordinary West Tofts
STANTA since 1942 has remained a largely
(substantially enlarged in the 1850’s by Pugin),
unspoilt and unchanged Breckland countryside
and little Norman Langford. Each has its own
wonderfully rich in flora and fauna. It is now
identity and unique architectural features, held
one of the largest Sites of Special Scientific
back (just) from ruin behind chain link fencing
Interest in England.
23
Out of bounds to troops: Tottington 2015 watercolour 46 x 63 cm
24
Communion rail pillars, Langford 2015 watercolour 58 x 41cm
25
Stained glass, West Tofts 2015 watercolour 41 x 53 cm
26
Tottington porch 2015 watercolour 60 x 44 cm
32
Out of bounds to troops: Stanford 2015 watercolour 61 x 44 cm
27
Tottington pews 2015 watercolour 63 x 45 cm
About the artist: a Curator’s view Peter Low
G E R A R D for over 20 years,
timelessness about his work which draws us in.
first as an acquaintance, then a friend. For the
But above all is the light. Light playing and
last 11 years I have had the privilege of not
glancing off stone and glass, leading us on, and
only showing his work but talking with him on
round and up. We all see it, many of us try
an almost daily basis about his hopes and,
and capture it through our cameras and
at times, fears. He is, self-evidently, a
phones, but this man can do it through that
perfectionist. Sharing, as we seem to, the
most challenging of media, watercolour. And
creative
on a monumental scale.
I
HAVE KNOWN
mind’s
insecurity,
he
is
never
completely satisfied, always striving for more.
Over the years, I have watched and
In those last 11 years I have also probably
listened, and yet to me – more familiar with
spent more time talking – to students, to
his work than many – it remains a mystery and
peers, to knights of the realm, to art critics, to
a wondrous mystery. Yes, his technique is
the famous and the not so famous – about his
painstaking and his skill consummate but it is
work than anybody other than him. Because of
that ineffable and inexplicable ability to turn
the subject matter I am often asked whether he
the intangible into the tangible that is
is an architect or particularly religious. In fact
fundamental. One might reasonably expect
he is neither, but what he does have and what
to have become conditioned to this – to no
is so easily understood and appreciated is a
longer be surprised – but this is not the case.
unique ability to capture that sense of peace,
With each painting, I still experience that
tranquillity, time passing – have it what you
thrill first felt some 12 years ago when he
will – that we all, religious or not, recognise
made
and feel in our churches and cathedrals.
miraculous, the same thrill that others tell
As Judi Dench put it, there is a sense of
me they feel when they first see his work.
that
leap
from
competence
to
With each exhibition I wonder whether he can
his first solo show, at the Grapevine Gallery,
continue to satisfy himself as well as his
Norwich. The next year saw his first London
audience, and on each occasion, from York
exhibition in Cork Street.
Minster to St. Pauls, to Norwich and Exeter,
Several more solo exhibitions followed,
and now to a shared love, Ely, our mutual
including Marshscape, a series of large studies
doubts have proved without foundation.
featuring the Norfolk coast, and Mediæval , a
This latest collection is, to my eye, remarka-
celebration of church architecture. In 2010,
ble. Ely is wonderful – but also challenging.
Gerard was invited to stage the inaugural
Anyone who looks up at the Octagon or
exhibition for the Royal opening of the Hostry,
catches a distant glimpse of the Cathedral
a new Exhibition and Visitor Centre at
rising out of the fenland mists knows they are
Norwich Cathedral where he was delighted to
in the presence of something awe-inspiring and
be asked to present Her Majesty the Queen
wonderful.
with a painting to celebrate the occasion.
And
– quite how I still don’t
know – Gerard has captured this.
Subsequent exhibitions including Spirits in Stone with Grapevine in London, Conquest at
G E R A R D ( B O R N 1 9 5 5 ) lives and works in
Norwich Castle Art Gallery and At the Still
Norfolk. He went to school under the shadow
Point in Exeter Cathedral have helped cement
of Norwich Cathedral, where he developed
his reputation as one of the country’s finest
a
contemporary watercolourists.
passion
for
drawing
and
painting
Mediæval architecture. After Art College Gerard followed a career in London’s Design
PETER LOW
and Advertising industry before focusing full
Founder and owner of Grapevine Contemporary
time on painting in 2002. In 2005 he held
Arts, Burnham Market, Norfolk
Isle of Light Ely Cathedral Lady Chapel September 24th to October 2nd 2016 Catalogue printed by Barnwell Print, Aylsham, Norfolk and designed by Gerard Stamp Set in Goudy Old Style and Gill Sans bold Š Gerard Stamp www.gerardstamp.com
Stamp turns architecture into art. He converts stone and brick, light and shadow, the tilt of a roof and the line of a wall into a living, exhilarating picture. Simon Jenkins
Ian Collins
Gerard has, while toiling alone in Norfolk, blossomed, come of age as an artist of skill, power and originality. Dan Cruickshank
Astonishing... his watercolour church architecture is a kind of miracle in itself. Ronald Blythe
His paintings show a fascination with the effect of light constantly moving across weathered brick and stone... Architectural poetry in watercolour. Mary Miers
The peace and tranquillity is overwhelming and I could sit and look at them for hours. Judi Dench
Isle of Light Watercolours of Ely Cathedral by Gerard Stamp
The more delicate the marks this artist makes, the more he suggests monumentality and infinity. What he loves most is the atmosphere evoked by the beautiful illusion of timelessness.