Megalithic art exhibition 2010
The Megalithomania art exhibition is now in its third year, and runs in conjunction with the conference. The curator of the exhibition, Kate Masters, had previously attended and spoken at the event and felt the experience could be enhanced by the presence of art because there is no better way to let your mind wander in the footsteps of the ancients than by pondering beautiful artwork whilst listening to the revelations of the speakers. What ties all the artists involved together is their interest in the mystery of the stones.
Whether it is the stunning and intertwining symbols of the Celtic world seen in Matthew Billington’s stone carvings or the power of sacred landscape captured in Phillip Tonkyn’s photography and Kate Masters ceramics, or the beautiful handpainted and digital combinations of featured artist, Maria Simon, the exhibition promises to be the perfect visual compliment to the conference. Each artist here strives within their medium to express something of the awesome atmosphere of spiritual places and are all true megalithomaniacs at heart. In the Megalitho-Market there is a stall selling the artists pieces. If you would like to exhibit at future events please contact Kate through the conference at: info@megalithomania.co.uk
Stephen E. Meakin
Stephen E. Meakin (b1966), Geometer, Architect, Artist and Antiquarian leads the field in Sacred Geometry as Mandala painting through the shear depth and breadth of his research. After studying Spacial Design at Bournemouth in the late 80's he went on to travel the worlds Sacred Sites only to return to school and read Architecture at Brighton. This seemed the most pragmatic academic solution to his real fascination and deep need to spend time with the philosophia perennis. Studying the megalithic temples of the ancients and the cake-like temples of the not so ancients, Stephen began to manifest some seriously beautiful paintings combining geometrical truths with form and colour. Some of which are on display here at Megalithomania 2010. www.stephenmeakin.com
Philip Tonkyn
Philip Tonkyn has worked internationally as an illustrator and was previously Director of Art at Portsmouth Grammar School. He has now returned to live and work in his home town of Glastonbury, where he has exhibited twice before at Megalithomania. His clients have included Brian Aldiss, Robert Heinlein, Hawkwind, Granada, Penguin, Pan and Watkins Books. In his more recent photographic works, Philip Tonkyn describes moments when, through the sublime fusion of landscape and light, a glimpse is revealed of an Otherworld that is deeply known in our hearts.
Several photographs are merged into large composite landscapes, recreating the experience of the place at that magical moment. These large images invite close examination but they are equally icons of meditation. Each is conceived as an eternal moment; a portal through which a deeper reality of being is found. In the case of the Sacred Sites, this perhaps accords with their original purpose.
The Simulacra Series takes sections of photographs of the natural world and reflect them. In the symmetry we discover a new animism, very reminiscent of the elemental spirits of long tradition. This sense of 'Genius Loci' is reinforced by the strong relationship between the 'spirit' forms and the places in which they were photographed.www.philiptonkyn.com
Maria Silmon
Maria has been a clothes designer and artist for many years, and now works in the mediums of digital art, photography and video. Previous exhibitions include: the Chalice Well and Goddess Conference in Glastonbury, Sunrise Festival, and the British Society of Dowsers Conference. She has recently created video installations for the Ryedale Folk Museum and Coastival Festival, Scarborough. She regularly exhibits her work in North Yorkshire where she lives, and opens her studio to the public in the summer for ‘North Yorkshire Open Studios’.
Maria grew up listening to stories of her Great Grandfather, a spiritual healer and herbalist who had visitations from an American Indian guide, who he conversed with in fluent native tongue. These stories she believes, account for an awareness of her own spiritual development, and fascination with the natural world.
Her journey has taken her to foreign lands to visit the Mayan architecture of the pyramid temples in the Yucatan, where she joined the first ‘Solar Initiation Tour’ with Hunbatz Men, a Mayan priest; to the Native American Indian dwellings of Mesa Verde and to the Hopi settlements of Arizona, where she felt blessed to be invited to a weekend of Kachina Dances in a Hopi village. On her last travel, a 6-month journey through India, she was inspired by the temple art of the Hindu, Buddhist and Jain faiths.
Maria is currently working on a project relating to the Solar Festivals as well as one regarding the extensive rock art on the North York Moors. www.mariasilmon.co.uk
Matthew Billington
Stone carving seems to have been something ‘Bill’ was born with, self taught (except for one lettering course) he has mostly carved by instinct. His first works were on pieces of stone he found whilst out and about and lugged home on his shoulder. The art of the Celts was the main flavour then and is still something of a speciality. His very first piece was quite small and a kind of morphing multi-faced tribal affair. The last few years have seen him produce quite a number of large standing-stones for public parks and walks - modern megaliths adorned with various motifs ancient and modern.
”Since doing the public work he became inspired to start sculpting from the heart again and with the improved equipment and techniques he found he was able to carve in a flow of consciousness, an unplanned way responding to the stone and to the shapes as they develop. He likes his work to keep a strong sense of the original stone, it’s raw natural form, so that sculpture emerges from it. This gives his work a timeless aspect, ancient and tribal.
Having lived in Wales for the last few years much of his recent work has been in slate, a stone he have found surprisingly responsive. The other Welsh stone he has found exciting and inspiring to carve is Preseli Bluestone, whilst rather hard the beautiful starry night patterns released when polished are mesmerising and he often wears a piece whilst carving. http://dragonstonecarving.wordpress.com
Kate Masters
Kate Masters is an artist with a life-long obsession with sacred sites, and she has worked on these themes in her art for many years. This led her recently to renovate a sixteenth century barn in the Mayenne in France, which has prompted a particular interest in this unexplored region. There are literally hundreds of megalithic monuments within a twenty mile radius of her home. Her ancestors hail from the Glastonbury area, and she has co-led tour groups along the ridgeway with her father. Kate coordinates the Art exhibition at Megalithomania every year. www.katemasters.fpic.co.uk
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