“Singing Sky”
Sculptural Window
for
The sculptural window gracing the rear wall of the
chancel in Epiphany’s new worship center has been entitled “Singing Sky” by the creator artist, Paul Kiler, as part of an integrated
design including the altar, pulpit, lectern, wall cross and processional cross.
The design is based on the concept of light, which is a metaphorical meaning of
Epiphany and refers to Christ, the
Light of the World.
I am the light of
the world: he that follows me shall not walk
in darkness, but
shall have everlasting life. John 8:12
In the time of Christ’s birth, a heavenly body guided the
Magi that came to worship Him on Epiphany. In recent history, we have been
graced with photographs of many “lights” in the sky. It is in these space age
images that we have an informed understanding and broadened wonderment of the
continuously active and creative presence of Yahweh Elohim.
The heavens declare
the glory of God: the skies proclaim the work of his hands.
Day after day they
pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge.
There is no speech
or language where their voice is not heard.
Their voice goes
out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world.
Psalm 19:1-4
“Singing Sky” has several themes portraying
Epiphany and Light, the Trinity, the response of people in relationship with
God, and witnesses of God’s character and attributes. The major design theme
for the sculpture is long arcs, chosen as a reference to the design of the
chancel area itself. Here the rear wall is a long arc and the front steps are
an opposing arc. To the artist, these long arcs are images of portions of
planets as seen in space program photographs of the earth and moon. Looking at
the window portions of arcs are seen that reference the act of creation and the
planets made during creation.
To represent the complete personhood of God, the Trinity
is seen individually. God the Father is seen in the arcs referencing the
creation and the planets. The cross is a symbol of Christ, not only in the wall
cross but in the pattern of repetitive small hairline crosses in the center of
each large square. The Spirit design element is the S shaped curve, almost in
the very center bottom, which is a Plexiglass box filled with thousands of dark
blue, green and clear marbles of light.
Two other important design and symbolic elements are on
the bottom left and originating from that figure. The warm colored figure is an
abstraction of a family of four, all in gesture of worship. The left figure is
the father, with his arm up-raised, the mother is over the top, in a protective
posture, and the two children are on the lower right. All have their arms
raised in gesture that can be thought of as celebration, worship, or prayer, or
any other expression of relationship with their God: Father, Son and Holy
Spirit. Emanating from the family and rising towards the center is a curl of
broken mosaic style glass, swirling around and curling back on itself, a figure
for prayer like incense.
O Lord, I call to
you: come quickly to me.
Hear my voice when
I call to you,
May my prayer be
set before you like incense;
may the lifting up
of my hands be like
the evening
sacrifice.
Psalm 141:1,2 NIV
Another design theme is the square grid shape of the
construction holding the glass panels. In the center of each square panel is a
Lapis Lazuli stone with a gold leaf cross. These represent the Cross of Christ
and the grid view seen in space program photographs.
The artist chose material, techniques, and treatments
that best emphasize these thoughts. The wall is not about being stained glass,
but about being Light. Materials were chosen for the way they interact with
light. They include colored and clear textured glass, glass that changes color
according to the viewing angle, painted glass, broken glass, Mica sheeting,
perforated aluminum, Japanese rice paper, marbles, Plexiglass,
Light is dealt with by using as many as five layers of
glass and materials. This multi-layered technique mixes patterned, textured or
opaque colored glass and other materials. It conveys transparency, translucency
and the multi-dimensionality of light. Most of the four foot square panels have
two to four layers of glass and weigh between 45 to 225 pounds. They are held
in specially constructed bronze frames, one inch deep to accommodate the large
amount of glass.
Both the wall cross and the processional cross are
constructed of fused seedy (filled with air) glass. The Trinity is represented
in the fused glass by three colors of mica squares, gold, silver and copper. On
top of the glass is a maple wood cross. At the center of the wooden cross are
four Lapis Lazuli stone cubes surrounded by another piece of Lapis with gold
leaf in the grooves. The cross is separated from the wall by about four inches.
The pole of the processional cross is carved with arcs and filled with gold
leaf.
It is the desire of Epiphany Lutheran Church and artist
Paul Kiler that this collection of integrated works of art and furniture foster
and enables viewers and worshipers to be ushered into the Holy presence of God,
finding there every reason to offer all praise, honor and glory to God for who
and what He is.