SALISBURY Cathedral is the iconic location for an amazing sculpture exhibition by John Maine RA which can be seen until July 23.

Sanctuary comprises a number of stone installations in the Close and a procession of granite carvings in the cloisters with a stack of twenty-five granite discs forming a column in the garth.

A sequence of incised stone panels, based on the floor patterns of the Sacrarium and Shrine of Westminster Abbey, can be seen in and around the Morning Chapel.

The exhibition encourages us to engage with the many meanings and implications of ‘sanctuary’, not least as a place of safety and refuge.

Here there are contained areas creating focus within the larger sanctuary of the Cathedral Close, mysterious places created for reflection and contemplation.

Sanctuary is curated by Jacquiline Creswell, visual arts adviser at the Cathedral.

The concept was triggered when she saw John Maine’s stone sculpture After Cosmati at the Royal Academy.

“I was reminded of the sense of calm reverence I encountered while walking among the stones at Avebury Ring and Stonehenge – there is a path that draws you in, through and around, inviting the visitor to stay and engage with the setting,” she said.

“I felt there was a resonance and connection with the stone and geometry of the Cathedral.

In the open grounds here the installation After Cosmati takes on yet another transformation, offering a labyrinth-like experience – an encounter with stone forms, some partially shaped and others finely carved.

The installations which comprise the Sanctuary exhibition have a strong physical presence and their weight and density allows for physical engagement, to sit on or just to touch.

Sanctuary also explores the ways that sculpture can respond to changes of scale and create a feeling of energy alongside a sense of stillness.”

John Maine said: “The opportunity to show work here is a significant step in understanding how sculpture can become part of a spiritual place.”

The Cathedral is running a full programme of events to support the exhibition including workshops, talks and discussions.

Call 01722 555124 or visit salisburycathedral.org.uk.