In the series The Lamp of Sacrifice, Coley created scaled, cardboard replicas of all the places of worship, of all religions, listed in the Edinburgh Yellow Pages the year this was made.  Coley alludes to John Ruskin’s the Seven Lamps of Architecture, in which the Victorian critic mourned the loss of beauty as the outcome of artistic effort, writing “it is not the church we want, but the sacrifice”. Coley responds to this, reflecting on the feeling that it can be the effort involved in making a building that enhances our appreciation of it.

Nathan Coley, born 1967

Born in Glasgow, Coley is an artist whose work questions the way in which the values of a society are reflected in its architecture. His work is based around an interest in public space, and addresses issues such as the importance of place, the social value of architecture and the meaning and relevance of contemporary monuments. He has become known for works of public sculpture, including his illuminated text works.

As a graduate of Sculpture and Environmental Art at Glasgow School of Art, Coley was encouraged to explore ideas rather than a traditional artistic medium. To this day, research motivates Coley’s practice; his methods include site visits, archival research, interviews and extensive photographic documentation. In 2007, Coley was shortlisted for the Turner Prize.