"Gray studied Mural Design at Glasgow School of Art from 1952-57. He has continued to work on murals throughout his career including at churches, a synagogue, The Ubiquitous Chip restaurant and Oran Mor venue in Glasgow. The Oran Mor mural (2004) is painted on a vaulted ceiling and shows the twelve signs of the zodiac. This panel I have picked was a test piece. The strange perspective, showing outer space at the top of the picture, moving down to sky then earth, reminds me of Salvador Dali’s painting at Kelvingrove Art Gallery, ‘Christ of St John of the Cross’ (1951). Here, Jesus on the cross floats in darkness, suspended over sky and water." (http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/43Chdsg7qTVLdSmbGsHl7wz/alasdair-gray-at-80-seven-artworks)