Wednesday, September 27, 2006

Hawksmoor

http://arts.guardian.co.uk/features/story/0,,1880284,00.html
Sneaked in because it is a slow news day. This is an interesting article about John Hawksmoor, to tie in with the retoration of a Hawksmoor church in London (well worth a visit if you live in/visit London). Hawksmoor was considerably influenced by "pagan" symbols, including those of Ancient Egypt: "He was passionate about all forms of religious architecture, from ancient Egypt, to Greece and Rome, to Islamic mosques and the English Gothic tradition. The cube form of St George's Bloomsbury is an allusion to the temple of Solomon in Jerusalem - the original temple and the key work for freemasons. The obelisks and pyramids scattered through his work might indeed form some elaborate 'Hawksmoor code' revealing the location of the Holy Grail; or they could simply be architectural quotations from a tirelessly inventive artist."
See the above article for the full story.

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