The Watcher

A lone white peacock occupies the South triforium of St Bartholomew the Great, where Prior Bolton used to pace and spy on his monks from his specially made Oriel Window. The white peacock is a rare bird which exists almost exclusively in captivity. In Christian symbolism it is said to symbolise Christ, immortality, and spiritual awakening. It is further associated with royalty, glory and incorruptibility. In some other cultural contexts the peacock is symbolic of purity of mind and spirit, and in others it is associated with pride, greed and even bad luck. Here Prior Bolton has transformed into a white peacock who struts and watches church and exhibition visitors from above.

The Watcher is a site-specific video projection for St Bartholomew's Churchmade in response to an invitation from curators  Elena Unger and Heidi Pearce, for the church's 900th anniversary exhibition in 2023.