THE KITE

St Andrew Church, Fulham Fields (London, UK)

My figure of Christ is depicted flying on a kite with arms outstretched as if to embrace humanity. This is not the suffering Christ of the Passion or Crucifixion, but a Christ of compassion. His body is simplified to a point where it resembles a stretchedskin. This is His only sufferance. The image is given a mystical sense of drama and tension by impact of ‘the drop’‒ the act of spilling molten metal onto the surface, burning into the composite of gold, colour and gesso ‒ imparting new life in it’s destructive wake.

The image of a kite represents the connection between the world we live in andsomething we need to believe in ‒ an openness of mind and spirit. We can all imagine a child flying his kite, looking up at the sky in wonder. For me the kite string is the connection between the terrestrial life and the spiritual world.

When people look at my paintings, they may think about space, time, the stars, something divine and not of this earth. I want this representation of Christ to speak to the younger generation who may find traditional depictions of the suffering Christ difficult to understand, and to encourage everyone to think about their own moral and ethical agendas ‒ perhaps the only legacy that will remain after our departure from this earth will be our humility, our kindness and charity. I hope the work will help everyone, and particularly the younger generation, find something positive in belief and in the church.

January, 2012

Public Commissions

The Beams

Work of public art created by Guido de Costanzo and Commissioned by Knight Frank, sited on Sainsbury’s store in South Woodham Ferrers, Essex.

In recognition of the nearby historic, decommissioned radar station at Bushy Hill (also known as Radar Hill) the work is called ‘The Beams’. From the 1950s Bushy Hill was one of the sites used by Marconi for its radar development programme. ‘The Beams’ is made from seasoned European oak and can be interpreted in different ways, it brings to mind radar beams and also resembles splashes of water which connect it with the surrounding marshland. ‘The Beams’ also has a strong sense of contemporary street art connecting it with the younger generation.