More than a Building – Peter, Lichfield Cathedral

More than a Building – Peter Walker, sculptor, painter, artist-in-residence Lichfield Cathedral.

There wasn’t much opportunity for a working class artist, or much interest in the arts when Peter Walker was growing up in the West Midlands  – it would usually mean a trip to London or another major city.

So Peter – largely self taught – was determined to bring art to the people in whatever way he could – and his local cathedral, Lichfield, has proved to be his answer.

For Peter, a sculptor, painter, is now mid-way through a five year artist-in-residency  at Lichfield Cathedral and is fortunate to live directly opposite his place of work.

He said: “The cathedral is a work of art; it is full of art, art stares out of you from every corner; from the 115 sculptures on the front of it alone, to the tombs, the icons, the bosses, the ironwork.

“Many people see cathedrals as something of the past; yet when you experience life in a cathedral community you realise how cathedrals are shaping, adapting, and rescoping for the 21st century.

“The Sistine chapel roof was a fresco of creation on an epic scale never before envisaged; there is nothing to stop us nowadays using what we have at hand -social media, visual arts, tech, light, sound – to create in a way that’s relevant to people’s daily lives.

“Lichfield Cathedral has always been a place of renaissance, and as an artist working here, I am proud to be involved in that change and represent a new generation of art in these buildings” he added.

Peter’s latest work:  The Great Exhibition: Imagine Peace. Lichfield Cathedral: 17-27 August  7pm – 11pm

His immersive poppy installation can be seen at St Albans, Guildford and Christchurch Oxford Cathedrals this autumn – back at Lichfield for Remembrance.