Inspired by ‘a sporting miracle’ – when Manchester City beat QPR to secure the Premier League title back in 2012 - print artist Alan Birch thought he’d take a closer, somewhat wry, look at the symbols and icons of faith.

The result of his labours is an exhibition, Later-Day Saints, which can be seen at the West Yorkshire Print Workshop in Mirfield from January 9 until February 11, 2017.

It depicts everyone from St Last Minute (the patron saint of football fans), St Kindle, St Lotto and St Tweetus to St Selfie and St Pit Bull – in monoprint and hand-coloured drypoint.

While the saints of medieval Catholic iconography are figures of devotion in themselves, Alan has created saints holding modern day objects of devotion.

Alan Birch at Prospect Studio, part of Rossendale Arts Trail.

Alan, who is based in Waterfoot, Lancashire, explains: “The seed for this series was sown when the media reported that Roberto Mancini had been to church prior to the Manchester City game.

“His prayers, along with thousands of others (mine among them) were answered as the game was won against the odds.

“A sporting miracle.

“Even in these contemporary times, faith and devotion are still strong. From this moment, St Last Minute, the patron saint of football fans, was born.”

Alan has long been fascinated by the depiction of saints, from early icons to illustrations in churches. Such images of saints were used to comfort the faithful, offering hope and solace from medical and personal difficulties, and were frequently graphic in their portrayal of suffering. He points to a typical example, St Apollonia, patron saint of tooth problems, who is often depicted having her teeth extracted – as she was martyred.

Artist Alan Birch presenting ‘St Last Minute’ to footballer Roberto Mancini in 2012
Artist Alan Birch presenting ‘St Last Minute’ to footballer Roberto Mancini in 2012

For the last four years, Alan has worked on his new iconography, which took a collection of saintly wood carvings in the Wellcome Collection at The Science Museum as their starting point.

He has produced 80 prints in all, mirroring our contemporary obsession with material objects and image.

Alan is running a dry-point printmaking taster session on January 21 at the Mirfield workshop on Huddersfield Road. For information contact info@wypw.org