Exploring Rudolf Steiner’s Sculptural Group 

A series of ongoing zoom seminars hosted by Rudolf Steiner House, London

 

 

All welcome, no need to book, no charge!

Date/Time for early birds in Australia

Time: 7.00pm-8.30pm (UK time)/6.00am-7.30am (AEDT)
Dates: 22 January, 5/19 February, 5/12/19 March, 2 April Australian time

 

Program

21 January: Introducing Rudolf  Steiner’s Sculptural Group with Howard Smith

In his last years, Rudolf Steiner worked intensively on the wooden statue usually known as “The Representative of Mankind”. This work of art encapsulates the essence of earth evolution and the mission of Christ, keeping the balance between the adversarial forces. This illustrated talk will look at some of the main details in the work, and it’s message to us today.

Howard is a life-long student of Anthroposophy. He has a PhD in Chemistry and worked as a researcher into the properties of water and as a science teacher. He founded the Science Group of the Anthroposophical Society in Great Britain and now works as a piano technical specialist. 

4 February: Dynamic Relationships in the Representative of Humanity with Angus Jenkinson

Steiner’s extraordinary statue seems to capture perhaps the most essential dynamics in the drama of a human life. Can we perceive these? What do we see? What do these dynamic relationships mean? Does it illuminate the Earth and its people? And in our own body, soul, and spirit? Do these dynamics reveal secrets such as those of evil, failure, and loving victory? Angus will enquire how this majestic artwork reveals dynamics of our souls and how our souls may help us understand the statue in a deeper way. Might this be life changing?

Angus Jenkinson is a transdisciplinary research fellow and class holder who also works with organisational purpose. He is the author of 4 books, including From Stress to Serenity: Gaining Strength in the Trials of Life and as co-author of Liquidity on the ecology of money. He is writing a book on Ecologic.

18 February: The Christ with Peter Van Breda

The central figure of the sculpture, known as the representative of humanity, represents the Christ. He stands, in characteristic gesture, beside and beneath the forces that take us ‘out of ourselves’ and beside and above the forces that would harden, drag us down and bind us to the earth. What can we learn of the Christ by contemplating this figure ?

Peter Van Breda lives in London and is a priest of The Christian Community, a movement for religious renewal. 

4 March: Exploring Inner Balance with Caroline Chanter

Gerard Wagner worked with the Representative of Humanity as an image of balance applicable to polarities in the human being, in general life, and in art. Polarities between the ‘opposing forces’, represented by Lucifer and Ahriman, exist also in the colours. Because of this, painting can consciously become a balancing act between the ‘luciferic’ and ‘ahrimanic’, which in turn unites the heart of the painter with the feeling of inner balance that has arisen through the uniting of polarities. Could this be an approach to a new Christian Art?

Caroline Chanter is a painter and art therapist. She teaches at the ‘Rudolf Steiner Painting School’ in Dornach and at ‘Swaasthyakala Niketan’, a painting therapy school in Bangalore, India. She has written two books about Gerard Wagner the latest an extensive biography A Life with Colour (Rudolf Steiner Press 2021).

 11 March: The Representative of Humanity and the Revelation of the New Mysteries, a conversation with Marguerite Miller

With a focus on the role of the Representative of Humanity, Marguerite will offer an introduction to Rudolf Steiner’s preparation of humanity for the reappearance of Christ in the etheric.  In an open conversation to follow, we will seek to create a shared imagination of our own role in freely manifesting the future within the stream of the New Mysteries.

Marguerite Miller is a translator who lives in the American Midwest.  During her decades of engagement with spiritual science she has pursued her interest in the history of the Mysteries and the history and gestures of Rudolf Steiner’s teaching.

 18 March: What is asked of the human being in our time? with Deborah Ravetz

Schiller said: ‘Live with your century, but do not be its creature. Work for your contemporaries; but create what they need, not what they praise.’ To be a contemporary means to be aware of what is happening in the present and to bring new impulses for the future. This talk will use story, art and literature to suggest a way in which we can acknowledge the past, be part of understanding our present and respond to the challenge of finding creative ideas for humanity now.

Deborah Ravetz trained as a painter and Social Sculpture practitioner. She lectures and writes on the evolution of consciousness through art history, literature and biography. The focus of her interest is the quest for authentic selfhood, the possibility of community, freedom and service.

1 April: The Role of Resistance – The Adversaries, servants of God or enemies of Man? with Geoffrey Norris

What is evil and how do we face it ?  We maybe recognise those beings portrayed in the sculpture, Lucifer and Ahriman, as enemies to be fought with and overcome. Or can we relate to them as servants of God who have actually been sent to help us ? As we see the portrayal of these beings sited together at the right hand side of the representative of humanity how do we relate to them ? Could they be serving us AND tempting us ? Then when we go on to contemplate them ‘fallen’ and ‘bound’ as they appear in the statue   how do they enter our consciousness ?

Geoffrey Norris is a speech artist and teacher, actor and director who gives regular speech classes and seminars.     

 

Cost

Voluntary donations towards costs and overheads are gratefully received and can be made by transfer to a Nationwide account held for this purpose. 

Account name: Adrian Hotten, sort code: 07-01-16 account number: 31466776

How to join 

Zoom link

Meeting ID: 826 3212 9836,
Passcode: 755359
Find your local number: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kw5KhlMVS

For more information

Please contact Sue Peat for more information about the series
Contact Brendon McQuillan  join the London e-mailing list
Browse the Rudolf Steiner House London What’s On for more events 

 

^{Featured image: Representative of Humanity (detail) by Rudolf Steiner and Edith Maryon, 1924, courtesy of AnthroWiki}