Nathalie Liege

Nathalie works with glass using a wide range of techniques, including etching, staining and traditional leading. She has a particular interest in the use of glass in architectural settings. She also paints, with the two processes complementing each other.

She says of glass that it is:
‘… a transmitter and receiver of energies, of preternatural abstraction; of preternatural sensation and significance in suspension, elevation; and in extension, projection, reverberation, transparency and translucency. It is a volume in all the dimensions – in time, space, body and mass.’

Her first visits to St. Luke’s inspired her to research the life of St. Luke, who was known for his travels and for his skills as a doctor and writer. She located a bearded gentleman, who was willing to take up a range of poses for her to sketch and photograph, to consider poses and expressions.

The workshops

In the summer of 2004, Nathalie ran a series of workshops with the congregation and supporters of St. Luke’s Church. She invited participants to work with her to explore the many images of St. Luke sitting with a large book on his lap. Participants took up his poses, and considered the depth of expression that can be achieved through the position of the hands.

She also took photos of participants in the range of typical poses found in visual renderings of the Virgin Mary.

Using a large number of photos of the saint-like bearded gentleman with a range of expressions, such as wonder, surprise, humour, alarm, Nathalie asked the participants to describe the expressions. This revealed that our responses to facial expressions may not always be the same.

Nathalie worked on these ideas and images to develop a series of proposals to be included in the glass screens and windows of the refurbished Church.

To see these proposals, click here