Circular tour of Minster

7:10pm Monday 4th August 2008

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A NEW exhibition at York Minster will bring a 360-degree perspective to the historic building.

The unusual collection of “photospheres” will be on display in the North Transept of the Minster during this month.

The circular photo montages are the work of Edward Hill, who has recently been selected for an international exhibition by the Royal Photographic Society.

His work shows the view from various points in the Minster in three different ways – above, below and around.

Vicky Harrison, collections manager at York Minster, said: “We’re delighted to have this unusual and exciting exhibition here at the Minster during August. “Edward Hill’s photospheres give a new and rather beautiful perspective on some very familiar parts of York and the Minster and we hope that visitors and York residents will enjoy discovering these truly 360-degree views.”

While a “down” photosphere holds the viewer suspended over a miniature world, the “up” photosphere frames the vastness of space overhead. The central photosphere shows the visitor’s normal view with a flat horizon perspective.

Edward Hill trained at Venini Glass Factory in Venice, Italy, in 1973, before spending the next 16 years designing and working with glass in a studio in Greenwich.

He then worked as a landscape photographer, moving on to creating photospheres in 1999.

Between 2000 and 2005, he developed a digital photographic method of creating the unusual photospheres and has had his work exhibited frequently since 2003 at cathedrals throughout the UK.

City of York councillor Christian Vassie, executive member for leisure and culture, said: “These photos are fantastic and great fun. It is always exciting to see familiar things, such as our wonderful city, from an unusual perspective.

“I particularly love the image of Duncombe Place. I now feel I know what a goldfish would see if it lay in the middle of the road!” Gillian Cruddas, chief executive of Visit York said she was delighted to see such an unusual photography exhibition showing in the city.

She said: “It’s yet another strong example of modern meets old in York and enables us to promote the contemporary alongside the historic.

“It’s fantastic to see modern art showing in the Minster and this will add a superb new dimension to our visitors’ experience.”