Genesis

Interesting talk at Charleston  Farmhouse as part of the literature festival with Julian Bell looking at his new book and series of paintings based on the Book of Genesis.

It was a great idea to invite Rabbi Julia Neuberger to interview Julian. He had begun the book following reading Genesis for the first time and interpreting the work as stories rather than theology. She, of course, had studied the theology in detail so added a wonderful commentary on the various meaning and interpretations of the work which Julian had often reflected through his reading without knowing it.

The slides that were shown of the work were fascinating. Julian’s visual interpretations of the words of the first days of the creation and brought to mind the great Haydn Oratorio. I loved his quote that one reason for the project was that it was “a great excuse to use colour”!

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