Ian McKillop.

Turner, Claire

Comprising 21 paintings by Ian McKillop, this Lenten exhibition encourages visitors to make a pilgrimage of prayer around Lichfield Cathedral. Three distinct series of works, Gethsemane, Seven Last Words from the Cross and Songs of Christ's Resurrection suggest a reflective journey during which the viewer might contemplate the themes of suffering, salvation, healing and hope.

By far the strongest of the three series is Seven Last Words from the Cross, the narrow canvases exaggerating the crushing pain of crucifixion. The artist uses deep shadows and strong contrast which suggest hollowness, a lack of breath, life expelled.

McKillop seeks to offer not 'religious experiences' but rather a 'way in' to what might become an encounter with the divine. Spending even just a short time with these visceral paintings, one can see how these works might give way to this type of experience. However, in their current setting, jostling for position within the stonework of the Cathedral's north aisle, it is difficult to pause for long enough to engender such reflection. In contrast with the paintings' invitation to pause, the architecture of the building leads visitors through this space as if it were a thoroughfare. I for one would like to sit with them a little longer.