Elle | Paolo: church project

Sunday, May 3, 2009

Church project statement

Light is changing. It is at once a ray beaming through mahogany doors. Panels of stained glass generate rich hues of red, blue and green. In the church, light transitions from natural to artificial.

As the son of a Catholic mother I go to church every Sunday. Masses are routine. Hymns, gospel readings, the priest’s homily and communion are reenacted like a well-rehearsed musical. The repetitive nature of mass bears resemblance to the rituals a person performs within the church: baptism, communion, confession, confirmation and funerals. Catholic life starts with baptism and continues in heaven after physical death.

However much changing, light and ritual cannot survive without space. Marble columns reflect. Pews and staircases divide deep shadows and slivers of light. Gothic-inspired architecture silhouettes. Inherently photography is a visual documentation of light. These pictures look at the transformative nature of light within the Catholic Church.