Tucked away in the Holy Trinity church in Marylebone, Westminster, Paul Fryer’s Lucifer resides. The church has not been used for worship in nearly 40 years which makes it the perfect abode for this grotesquely beautiful installation.
This shows Lucifer as an oily black figure, with huge white wings ensnared in power lines. The piece has been created from wax, concrete, aluminium, rubber cord and feathers, and has an eerily dramatic effect. The juxtaposition of the fallen angel in the disused church, lit by the light of stain glass windows seems to make a social commentary on the waning staunch following of Christian beliefs in a world which is technologically advancing.
So why call it morning star? Prior to Christian writers picking up on the name Lucifer, the meaning was literally morning star, the embodiment of Venus in the sky. Often depicted as a winged male baring a torch. Once used for the name of the angel which rebelled against God and started the war of the heavens, this stuck and can be picked up in writings such as Dante’s Devine Comedy, or Milton’s Paradise Lost.
Fryer’s work encapsulates the image of the angel with the dark soul, cast out of heaven perfectly. A lot of his work stems from a religious or scientific basis, and you can see more of his work here.
For now, enjoy the thrilling views of Lucifer in all its glory, and maybe let me know if you find this grotesque or beautiful…
Hi, do you know if the morning star is still there?, cause I’m a photography student and this would be perfect for one of my units. Thank you
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I believe the installation has now been removed. What’s your unit? There might be other things out there which could be perfect for your photography
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It’s called angels and demons and it’s for a book cover, I have some other ideas but I thought that would of been perfect.
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It’s a shame as I would have loved to see this myself. I just heard about it a little too late. I think this would have been perfect for you too. It’s always worth having a look at what they have going on in the Whitechapel area as they get some really great original pieces. Also have you looked at the street art around brick lane? Last time I was there they had a large angel piece but there is no certainty that will be there now either
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It seems very imposing and also seems to have an intense presence . . . . I can imagine what it’s like being it’s presence – the sculpture that is.
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I would think that the intention is for it to be imposing and dominating of space.
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I love the statue. I’m not religious but I do like the art around religion. Wish that there was more art and work about Lucifer.
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I’m not religious either, but religious art is intriguing. Lucifer is certainly one of the most interesting characters
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Eeire and beautiful. Lucifer was said to be the brightest and one of God’s favorites, right?
I wonder whether the cords are supposed to be capturing or supporting. The hanging nature of the display is nicely ambiguous for me
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It’s definitely ambiguous. I have written quite a lot about lucifer. You should check out my other articles 😊
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