Thanks to a very generous legacy from a committed member of the church, the Millennium Window at Riverside was commissioned for the prominent position above the front doors, beneath the steeple, looking out down Dumbarton’s High Street and was created by renowned glass artist John Clark.
The Concept
The window was intended to have a close viewing quality from inside at the top of the stairs to the balcony, as well as acting as a beacon from outside.
The design continues a series of works where John Clark combined text and suitable symbolism.
In this case the texts are drawn from both Old and New Testament sources in keeping with the readings in the Church.
Old Testament Quotations
Exodus
3:14 And God said to Moses, I AM THAT I AM.
3:2 And the Angel of Jehovah appeared to him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a thorn-bush: and he looked, and behold, the thorn-bush burned with fire, and the thorn-bush was not being consumed.
New Testament Quotations
Acts
2:2 And there came suddenly a sound out of heaven as of a violent impetuous blowing, and filled all the house where they were sitting.
2:3 And there appeared to them parted tongues, as of fire, and it sat upon each one of them
Implementation
The artist wanted to integrate the concept to lie harmoniously with the structure rather than try to ignore it.
The structure implied a cross in the middle. With the other two symbols, the Spirit descending at Pentecost exuding tongues of fire and the symbol of the Burning Bush, this becomes a Trinity Window in keeping with the theme of the Millennium.
The window is made of “flashed glass” – a glass with two layers.
A thick base glass and a thinner flash. This top layer was etched away enabling tones of colour to be achieved. The glass was then painted using traditional glass paint and silver stain.
Breakdown of the text
The number of letters contained within the whole image was controlled by how many letters chould be included within the small square sections of the window. Once the artist had decided that there should be four in such a square then the total number of letters became apparent.
The selected texts fitted almost exactly into this structure with very little need for alteration.
Millenium Window
AND THERE CAME
SUDDENLY A SOUND
OUT OF HEAVEN AS
OF A VIOLENT IMP
ETUOUS BLOWING,
AND FILLED ALL T
HE HOUSE WHERE
THEY WERE SITTIN
G.AND THERE APPE
ARED TO THEM
PARTED TONGUES,
AS OF FIRE, AND
IT SAT UPON EACH
ONE OF THEM.
GOD SAID TO MOSES
I AM THAT I AM
AND THE ANGEL OF
JEHOVAH APPEARED
TO HIM IN A FLAM
E OF FIRE OUT OF
THE MIDST OF A
THORN-BUSH: AND
HE LOOKED, AND
BEHOLD,THE THORN
BUSH BURNED WITH
FIRE,AND THE THO
RN-BUSH WAS NOT
BEING CONSUMED.
For more information, please visit the artist’s wesbiste: John K Clark, Glass Artist