Prayer, lectio divina and work, according to St Benedict, are the three most important elements of a monk's life. A novice does two hours work in the community each day, a professed sister three. Work or employments vary and are rotated every three months. Shown here are the Vestarian, who make and repairs the habits, and cowls, the Laundry Sister, the Pantry Sister and the Guest Mistress or Portress who looks after visitors and retreatants. There are a few rooms in the outer enclosure for guests or for people who wish to make retreats.
Anne Noble, Artist
This is one of the
photographs
in our collection.
It was made in
Tyburn, London, England, Great Britain
in 1988.
See full details
Object Detail
About the Work
From
the
Series
"In
the
presence
of
Angels-
Photographs
of
Contemporary
life"
56
photographs."Two
primary
raw
materials
of
photography,
time
and
light,
also
happen
to
be
two
concepts
central
to
the
monastic
life.
Anne
Noble's
exhibition,
In
the
presence
of
angels,
which
has
been
touring
New
Zealand
for
the
last
two
years,
captures
the
reality
inhabited
by
the
Benedictine
nuns
of
Tyburn
Convent,
near
the
centre
of
London,
and
also
illuminates
the
photo-artist's
own
practice.
Nobles
exposures
reflect
the
nun's
preoccupation
with
transcending
the
materiality
and
temporality
of
existence.
In
a
catalogue
essay
to
the
show,
Mother
M.
Xavier
McMonagle
describes
her
monastic
vocation
as
a
"spiritual
dance
between
time
and
eternity"*.
Photography
is,
in
its
own
way,
also
a
dance
or
transaction
between
time
and
timelessness.
Its
objective,
like
the
liturgical
life,
can
be
"to
sanctify
time
and
all
human
activity"**"
by
Gregory
O'Brien.
Article
'
Silent
Films',
in
'Illusions'.
pg
36.
See
Loan
file.
*In the presence of Angels, Exhibition catalogue, Sarjeant Gallery, Whanganui, 1989, pp7-10.
**Ibid
*In the presence of Angels, Exhibition catalogue, Sarjeant Gallery, Whanganui, 1989, pp7-10.
**Ibid
This record represents a work in a series and has related works.
Measurements
Image 120 x 178mm
Frame 482 x 585 mm
Frame 482 x 585 mm
Media
silver toned gelatin photograph on paper
Description
From the series of 56 photographs: "In the presence of Angels- Photographs of Contemporary life". A nun seated at a worktable sewing while a row of white robes are hanging on the wall opposite.
Credit Line
On long term loan to the Sarjeant Gallery Te Whare o Rehua Whanganui
Collection Type
Loans
Collection
Acquisition Date
1991