Exhibition
From the Contributors
Much of the background to this project and how it came about can be found here, but there are a few points I’d like to share.
Right from the start when working with our architects in imagining this new building space, the concept of garden was adopted. In Scripture we read of the Garden, the symbolic image of flourishing and growth, of life and community, creation working in unison, cultivating and renewing - an act of worship to it’s creator.
This was the backbone to our project.
Not only was this project a living act of worship to God, but it’s intention was to create an environment which would also become that for our students, staff and guests who come through these spaces too. That we would be confronted by the beauty of creation, and our purpose and place in it. From which we would be inspired to move into the world to continue God’s work of renewal.
Our hope was to not only create a beautiful space, but to give us a visual language as a College, which would help us talk about our faith, and the story of Scripture, from Creation through to New Creation.
With a project like this, spanning multiple years and involving a number people, internal and external there was a lot of thought, and a lot of decisions made. We aimed to be purposeful, weaving together threads and overlapping meaning. However there are just some things we didn’t plan.
One of these was the final positioning of the two pillars of fire in Scene 2. The building plans showed doors and windows but not fixtures. So you can imagine our delight when we discovered that directly between these two pillars was our fire hose, and ofcourse placed in the Red Sea. We also quite enjoyed discovering that to get to the Promised Land/Kingdom scene people might have to walk through what felt like 40 years of Library stacks to reach it. If you didn’t already work out that God has a sense of humour you might now.
There were a number of other instances across this project where things came together that seemed wonderfully orchestrated. That whatever plans we made were amplified, enhanced and made alive. For that we can’t take credit, and have been so grateful to have a real sense of not only God’s leading and guiding through this project, but his delighting in it too.
The last piece I’d like to mention about this project is the people. Accomplishment has not only been found in the completion of this expanse of work, but in the process of collaborating with colleagues and external partners to create something both meaningful and beautiful. For all of you we are so grateful.
Sasha McPherson
Project Lead
E muamua lava ona sii le viiga ma le fa’afetai i tatou Tamā i le lagi, ua i'u ma le manuia, lenei fa’amoemoe.
I first and foremost give all the glory to God. It’s a privilege to share the journey of telling this Story on the walls here at Laidlaw. I hope the depth of thought that went in to the glass and walls reflect the knowledge and wisdom and Spirit that we are surrounded with in the Laidlaw community. There was a huge amount of support and guidance from the wider team.
I need to find a balance of talking to some of the key themes and ideas but also letting you find and discover the story for yourself. In the same way we open the Bible, reading a verse over and over again, and always discovering something new. But there are a few themes I’d like to share, when it comes to the visual style of the artwork.
Colour: Everything is vibrant and bright, colourful. In initial meetings, we talked about the space and wanting to remind ourselves of God’s presence among us, in our studies, in our work. The Holy Spirit being present. For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them. We initially had a few colour schemes that had more muted tones but found when describing the Holy Spirit we wanted to go full colour/brightness.
Style and Branches: The style is abstract in parts, almost like stained glass. But a key feature is the black lines which create the shapes. Lines representing paths, journeys, the student journey, and community journey. Every chance I get I share this with our students and staff. Māori and Pasifika (Samoa) draw connections with lines in the tatau. We are big on Genealogy. Like a family tree, lines connect generation to generation.
Each line is a branch, and that branch represents us, woven into the story of Scripture. And at the centre of our tree, is Jesus. At the centre is Christ dying on the cross. He was nailed to a tree. Jesus says, “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing."
Everyone has a story. And so we represent this in the narrative. We are all connected. We are one faith. Many branches, but one faith. One Christ.
Birds: I want to touch on how we acknowledge the land, the natural world around us. And how we feature our native birds. This was enjoyable to learn, especially with my identity as a Samoan born and raised in Aotearoa. Leaning on our Māori advisory workshop, we adopted the concept that an abundance of birds is a good indicator that the spirit, the mauri, is alive and strong in the forest. Samoan proverbs are based around birds and the natural world. In the same way we look to behaviour/personality patterns of the birds and natural world for signs, and this is laid out in the context of the story.
The repeated design strip: All these themes can be summed up in a simple pattern strip which is repeated on our wooden beams, on the glass and autex walls. Simplified symbols represent: the lines of Scripture, the flourishing of the forest, echoing of the birds and the spirit, all woven together.
This journey has been a huge privilege for me. Being able to lean on the wisdom of so many of our staff community. Brad, Roshan, Lisl with the Holy Holy Holy wall, Julia with the Hebrew, Terry with the coconut trees outside Moana Lounge, and many more!
What was a design role turned into a bible lesson. Art turned into prayer. I learnt quite quickly why God had brought me to Laidlaw. I learnt Scripture as one unified story, with everything pointing to Jesus. It put me at ease, and didn’t seem so big and intimidating to read. It became something much more!
My biggest hope for you in viewing this exhibition, is that you find encouragement. The same way this project grew from the basic need for safety and privacy. We just let it grow. As you go back to your communities, roles in work, in Church. We hope you are encouraged, and grow in faith in all you do.
I te timataga te kupu, I te atua te kupu, ko te atua ano te kupu.
Pio Mulipola
Artist