Richard Paton

St Martin in the Bull Ring · Birmingham · 2015

Craigie Aitchison Chapel Window

Craigie Aitchison’s final church-window design, translated into a luminous fused-glass panel for St Martin in the Bull Ring.

Craigie Aitchison’s completed chapel window illuminated inside St Martin in the Bull Ring
The completed window illuminated inside St Martin in the Bull Ring, Birmingham.
Project
Craigie Aitchison Chapel Window
Location
St Martin in the Bull Ring, Birmingham
Artist and design
Craigie Aitchison
Construction
Fused and painted glass in a bespoke metal frame
Installation
Inside the existing tracery glazing
Completed
2015

Craigie Aitchison’s final church window

Craigie Aitchison was known for paintings of great economy: flattened forms, intense colour and recurring images including the crucifixion, lambs and birds. He designed only three church windows. I had previously helped with one at St Mary The Boltons in London; this final design was made and installed by me at St Martin in the Bull Ring, Birmingham.

Aitchison prepared the design shortly before his death in 2009. The task was to retain the directness of his imagery while finding a glass process capable of producing the glowing yellow ground, scattered colour and deep painted forms at architectural scale.

“The window overlooks the Bullring and can be viewed at night as well as from inside the church.”

The making

Fused colour, painted imagery and light

  1. 01
    Richard Paton working over the full-size Craigie Aitchison window layout in the studio
    Working through the full-size composition in the studio.

    Translating the design

    Aitchison’s economical composition was resolved at full size as a single panel, with the crucifixion, lamb and dove held against an expansive field of yellow and black.

  2. 02
    The full chapel window panel with yellow glass and frit arranged over the clear base glass
    Developing the fused yellow ground across the full panel.

    Building the fused background

    The panel began with clear base glass. Broken yellow glass and glass frit were arranged across it to establish the luminous background before the first kiln firings.

  3. 03
    A hand applying glass material around the crucifixion figure on the chapel window panel
    Applying and adjusting the glass material before firing.

    Frit, colour and painted forms

    Further coloured frit was applied so that flecks of colour would remain visible through the black painted areas. The imagery and surface were developed through several kiln firings.

  4. 04
    Richard Paton inspecting the completed fused-glass window illuminated on a studio lightbox
    Inspecting the completed panel under transmitted light before installation.

    Framing and installation

    A bespoke metal frame was made to hold the completed glass inside the church’s existing float-glass glazing and stone tracery. Its horizontal division follows the lead line already present in the external glazing.

Gallery

White dove detail with warm red and yellow glass above
The dove at the top of the composition.
Full illuminated crucifixion figure from the Craigie Aitchison window
The crucifixion figure illuminated from behind.
White lamb detail against the dark fused-glass background
The lamb motif in the completed glass.
The completed crucifixion section glowing on a dark lightbox
Colour and texture revealed under transmitted light.
Yellow fused-glass base with reserved white crucifixion form
The yellow ground developing before the darker imagery was completed.
Full chapel window panel showing the crucifixion and dove against the yellow fused background
The full panel before installation.
Richard Paton working across the full glass panel in the studio
Developing the panel across the studio workbench.
The complete window with crucifixion, lamb and dove illuminated on a lightbox
The completed composition illuminated in the studio.

Preserving the force of a spare design

The making method had to preserve the clarity of Aitchison’s composition while creating a richly varied surface. Broken glass and frit produced a yellow ground with movement and depth; added colour remained visible beneath the black imagery rather than disappearing into it.

Repeated kiln firings brought the layers together. The finished panel was then divided to correspond with the existing exterior lead line and installed in its purpose-made frame, allowing the work to be seen from the church by day and from the Bullring after dark.

Credits

Artist and original design
Craigie Aitchison
Glass fabrication
Richard Paton · Rainbow Glass Studios
Metal frame and installation
Richard Paton · Rainbow Glass Studios
Location
St Martin in the Bull Ring, Birmingham

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