The Screen

Commissioned by the Community Church of St Mark, Clifton Hill, Melbourne, Australia, the screen  commemorates the life and teachings of Dr Athol Gill.   

Measuring approximately 2 x 3 metres, the window is located at the entrance to the church and is visible to viewers from the outside and the inside.  The unique design concept draws its character from the Gospel of Mark.  As the episodes in Mark have been sandwiched together by the writer, so have the layers of glass in this window, thereby creating a double-sided window. 

From the outside a large cross is the visible image, colours radiating from the center in yellows, golds, oranges and reds. The cross is central to the Gospel of Mark and pivotal in Athol Gill’s teachings.   No lead is used in this window.  The cut glass is held in place with clear non-acetic silicon and by suspension between two layers of glass.

The view from the inside is different.  The internal cross is framed by eight panels, each representing episodes from Mark’s gospel.  The four on the left relate to discipleship: the call rejected and accepted, the role of faith and servanthood.  The four on the right focus on community: judgment of the old, grace and the new, communion and provision, and inclusion of the marginalised. 

The cross, which is central to the teachings of Athol Gill, sits in the center of this window with four significant episodes surrounding it.  The cross is at eye level.  It is the cross that we focus on as we follow on the way in our Christian discipleship.  The glass forming the images on the inside are held between glass and a 2.5mm layer of laser-cut mild steel. The striking effect emulates leadlighting, but allows for greater fluidity of form, providing a diversity of line weights and is quicker and easier to construct. The laser cutting also allows us to include text in the design. 

The concept of a double-sided window, to our knowledge, has never been trialled before, making this a unique and ground-breaking public art project.  As a community project, members of the church and local community have been part of the consultative process. 

View from the outside

View from the inside