Salisbury Cathedral is the iconic location for the first major retrospective exhibition by Helaine Blumenfeld OBE, one of Britain’s leading contemporary sculptors working in marble and bronze. Messenger of the Spirit, running from 12 April – 8 September 2013, brings together twenty of the extraordinarily beautiful pieces Blumenfeld has created throughout a career spanning more than four decades and includes four new site-specific pieces: Esprit 2013, Mysteries, The Space Within and Flight. The majority of the pieces are located in the Cathedral but six monumental works are outside in the surrounding Cathedral Close. Many thousands of people are expected to take the opportunity to visit to see her inspirational work in this public space.
Sarah Mullally, Canon Treasurer and Chairman of the Cathedral’s Exhibition Committee, said “Within the narrative of Christian scripture Angels appear when the human mind struggles to comprehend. Through her sculptures Helaine Blumenfeld seeks to communicate from that place when words fail through the visual, imaginative and tactile, and at an emotional level. The Cathedral seeks to do the same so this is a unique opportunity for the Cathedral and these sculptures to work together. It is a real joy after so many months of planning to see Helaine’s breathtakingly beautiful sculptures here where the building’s light, space and architecture are seen in partnership with the flowing textures and smooth lines of the pieces to create a wonderful sense of life, and giving a message of creation, healing and hope.”
Helaine Blumenfeld commented, “I am honoured and excited to have the opportunity to have this important exhibition of my work at Salisbury Cathedral. The sculptures that I am showing resonate with the beauty and meaningfulness of this setting. I hope to inspire and surprise the viewer, leading them into spaces in the Cathedral that they have not visited before. “For me sculpture has been a journey to try and reach beyond the physical, emotional and cultural boundaries that limit our perception as well as our growth as spiritual beings. Through sculpture I have tried to create a visual language that does
not depend on words but on images for its impact.”
