Talks On Ship Led To Order For Font

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31596, 6 February 1968, Page 8

Talks On Ship Led To Order For Font

A font completed by John Turner * -week .ago for an Anglican ehtucfi in Christchurch Will be one of the works by Canterbury sculptors to be shown In the Durham Art -Gallery during the Pan Pacific Arts Festival. The font which has a stainless steel bowl set in an aluminium base mounted on welded steel legs, is the first of three works commissioned from Turner by St Andrew’s, Church, North Beach. Its history can be traced back to shipboard conversation* toward* the end of 1909. The Rev. L. H. Kyle, returning to New Zealand after overseas leave, met -ah Australian couple who interested him in the subject of modern church architecture and furniture. The couple I were artists who specialised tn designing murals and furniture for Australian churches.

“Till then, I hadn’t given the subject much thought,” he said, “but they gave >ne a lot of ideas. However, I didn’t know what sort of parish 1 was coming back to in New Zealand, and didn’t think that I’d be doing anything about it.” The opportunity to do something about it arose last year at North Beach where the church had temporary premises and not much furniture, and plans were being

made to build a new church. The School rof Fine Acts at Ham was consulted on the subject of furniture design and Turner;" a sculpture student' completing diploma of fine, arts honours, was invited to submit sketches for a font, a prayer desk and a lectern. Turner produced three sketch models which were inspected, .discussed and approved. He cast the base In nine pieces at the art school’s foundry, using about lewt of aluminium. It was his biggest castings job. <he legs wert made w wqldM steel to add a different texture to -the work. A The completed fdht was displayed- at the North Beach church at the evening service the Sunday before last - “The people were quite struck with it/’ the minister said. "It war-not shown to

the best advantage as it’s a bit big for the present church. As it Was a modern work, people found it hard to understand, but they all liked it.” Turner was very Interested in the reaction. “People who see the sketch model cannol always envisage a work in its full size. It becomes something entirely new- to them when It is something they cannot hold in thiir land,” he said. He said that ultimately

church furniture design came back to sculpture. He had an ideal client with an open attitude. “There were no restrictions and I felt free to work once I had settled the question of function.” In Commissioning these works the North Beach churdh will gain three strife . Ing original work* for its projected church, and will save I considerably, too. The cost of ihefhree is the same as one from, tire traditional source. The exhibition will also in--1 dude a large work by T. J: Taylor, a university lecturer ; in sculpture, and a work in j fibre-glass sent from England ,by Rosemary Johnstone, a former student March 10 to 30, Canterbury Sculpture, Durham Street ' Art Gallery.