Exhibitions

BATH ABBEY CRIB 2009

The tradition of the Christmas crib was started by St Francis of Assisi, who set up a theatrical tableau starring a real baby in Greccio, Italy, on Christmas Eve 1223.

Since then cribs have been made in a vast range of sizes, styles and materials, often reflecting the folk traditions of the localities in which they are produced or crafted.

In imagination, the person viewing the crib becomes part of the dramatic events of that first Christmas, a witness to the incarnation of God in human form as a baby, Jesus Christ.

The inspiration for the contemporary approach taken here comes from Breughel's 'Census at Bethlehem' painted in 1566, and is an interpretation of John 1 vv 5 & 11:

The life-light blazed in the darkness; the darkness couldn't put it out....He was in the world, the world was there through him, and yet the world didn't even notice.'

(The Message)

This photographic montage creates an urban landscape which may or may not be real, in which different times and spaces co-exist.

The diorama format accentuates the dramatic qualities of the story, and is based on the Neapolitan crib tradition which shows people going about their daily activities. Here, they can be found talking on a mobile, eating burgers, and shopping. But some people have noticed something extraordinary is going on.

You are invited to go on a journey through the scene, to look for and discover the holy family for yourself.

2010 exhibition dates for the Bath Abbey Diptychs, One Man's Journey, will be shown here.