Famous faces take a pew for Congregation (From The Argus)

Famous faces take a pew for Congregation

4:10pm Wednesday 20th May 2009 in Search

Elvis, Winston Churchill and Barack Obama are just some of the members of a church’s congregation.

Paintings of the famous names have been set up in pews alongside portraits of members of the public in St Paul’s Church in West Street, Brighton.

The exhibition, entitled Congregation, features 75 life-sized portraits by 33 artists.

The site-specific installation has been curated by artists Shardcore and Sam Hewitt.

Last year the pair organised a similar exhibition – entitled Mass – in Clermont Church, Brighton, which included 58 paintings.

Shardcore said: “Last year was such a success that we thought we would do it bigger and better this year. We contacted all of the artists we knew and told them to contact everyone they knew. We aim to be as inclusive as possible. Anyone who has got the skills and patience to paint a canvas of that size should be allowed in our congregation.”

The youngest artist to have their work exhibited is 12 and the oldest is 79. More than 2,000 visitors have been to the exhibition so far.

Shardcore said: “It is kind of what the show is about. These beautiful churches exist and we don’t really go to visit them.”

Congregation is free to the public until May 25. It opens from 10.30am to 3pm Monday to Friday and 10.30am to 4pm on Saturday.