WILLIAM BLAKE SEEN IN LOZELLS

The resident artist at Lozells Methodist Community Centre, Eddy Aigbe ( https://www.facebook.com/EddyAigbeArtist), recently showed work at an exhibition in Leeds where the theme was the recreation of William Blake’s ‘Jerusalem’ in the ‘green and pleasant land’ of Britain today. Links were made between the ‘dark satanic mills’ of the 19th Century and the experiences of many in present day inner-cities and migrations across the globe, and there was a reaching for those ‘arrows of desire’ which would pierce the barriers surrounding people. In the same vein, the Lozells Community Art and Craft Show witnessed the power of providing a simple means of recognition for young people in particular – the excitement of seeing their work exhibited was almost uncontainable, and tears of joy were shed. Barriers were indeed pierced, and Blake himself might as well have been in the room.

The three pictures above can be enlarged by clicking on them. Apologies for how the ‘cropping’ automatically done by the website has led to the loss of the top and bottom of some of the pictures in the galleries below. Congratulations particularly to the pupils of Mayfield, Sacred Heart and Eden Boys’, and ILM Nursery, for their wholehearted participation.