Phases/
Lumen

Commissioner The Museum of Freemasonry
Year 2020

Wonder and storytelling are as much a part of the sky above us as science and understanding. We see our world mirrored in the sky and over the centuries we've created symbolism of the sun and moon as opposites, ruling the day and night and representing male and female.

Freemasons also use imagery of the day and night sky. They appear on many older aprons and in symbolic prints. Sometimes the lodge room ceiling has stars painted on it to remind those freemasons beneath of their place within the cosmos. Time moves on for us all, just as the phases of the moon appear in the night sky.

Phases has been produced by Lumen at the invitation of the Museum of Freemasonry to respond to freemasonry and our collection. Lumen are a London-based art collective, whose members are Louise Beer, Melanie King and Rebecca Huxley. Through the themes of astronomy and light they exhibit and curate exhibitions in churches, galleries and alternative venues. Including imagery from NASA’s Apollo missions, Phases brings contemporary art together with the craft of freemasonry to offer a new perspective on a subject with many facets.