Jacqui Parkinson: Tree of Life and Open Heaven
Jacqui Parkinson, who brought us the highly acclaimed Threads Through Revelation last year, is back in Southwell for the national launch of her new exhibition.
Tree of Life consists of 3 stitched panels that take the viewer on a journey and have a tree at their centre. The first panel is from the Garden of Eden and is the journey away from the tree of life. The second panel tells the Easter story with the tree of life at its centre – the tree on which Jesus was killed – the pivotal act that brings together our first view of the tree in Genesis and our last view of the tree in Revelation. The final panel depicts the journey towards the eternal tree of life that has fruit all year round and brings about the healing of the nations.
Open Heaven is very different; it is a kind of sculpture, a visual statement. This installation is based around a rope ladder that reaches from the floor of the Minster to its heights, representing the connection between earth and heaven and between us and God. Low down on the rope ladder visitors stand face to face with a life size figure, a cast of a real young man in his thirties. Here is Jesus, reaching out to everyone. Jesus: the one who totally connects earth to heaven and the Father to men and women.