Eyes to see
If the church and its artists are to speak truthfully to a kingdom view, then
we must live with our eyes open. As we contemplate God’s creative and
sustaining work, we see the rational, the sensual and the relational—attributes
mirrored in the way the artist sees.
Rational, sensual and relational forms
In the vast expanse of the universe, we can only begin to grasp the span of
God’s sustaining power. An incomprehensibly rational mind is administrating
and keeping all levels of creation operating in an orderly manner. The orderly,
but seemingly random beauty of the plant and animal kingdoms also present
us with innumerable examples of beauty that evidence God’s love of sensual,
visual pleasure for its own sake. The most sophisticated creation of all is
the interdependent world of people and relational activity. It is the abilty
to bring together unique but related aspects, creating a unity rather than
uniformity, that so reflect and honour the Creator.
How artists see
Artists see what is real, and imagine what is possible. Creative artistic
expression and imagination therefore depend on our perception of what is real,
true and of value. Our way of seeing things will include the world of ideas
(the rational), the world of things (the sensual) and the world of persons
(the relational). The artist sees reality—the beauty and the ugliness,
the comfortable and the pained, the refined and the corrupted. Some art forms
present ideology, theology and simple observation in rational ways. Some forms
explore emotion, passion, colour and texture for its own sake. Still others
explore relationship. In these ways the arts fully engage our human capabilities
and invite us to look afresh in the hope we might come to see more clearly.
A major preoccupation for some artists is a search for beauty, and an idealization of form, colour, light, texture, space, race or gender. A smaller number of artists seem to be less interested in searching for perfection or beauty than in responding to what is flawed and in need of protest. In general we could say the former is art for contemplation and the latter is art concerned with action. Calvin Seerveld has observed that “ …the Lord wants double edged artistry, praising God’s name and setting things straight.”3
How artists design
Artists not only see the world in unique ways, they also use their design
sense in any art form to interpret and arrange their responses to the world.
Devices such as composition, story line, choreography, screenplay and many
subsets of those skills shape the finished product for the audience, so that
our experience of it is largely controlled by the artist. The artist is able
to have enormous influence over the audience’s perception of the truth
presented. Here is a place where we see a window of opportunity for the work
of the artist to carry an understanding of things born out of a biblical worldview.
The use of metaphor
Artistic expression can be so orderly and sterile that it fails to engage
or move us in material, emotional or spiritual terms. It can be so sensually
driven in pursuit of beauty and accessibility that it can lead people into
idolatry. It can be so focused on love and relational theology that it lacks
a broader awareness of sin or a theological/historical overview.
The metaphors used by Jesus, on the other hand, usually have immediate cultural context (mirroring), historical connections (visioning) and relational power (transformation). For example, the picture of bread and leavening of the dough is immediately connected with an aromatic staple of the Jewish diet and the domestic process of making bread rise. It is connected backwards to the traditional meanings of manna and the Passover ceremony, and those associations with atonement. It is further retooled by Jesus to suggest a present and future association with Himself—the Bread that sustains, that is broken sacrificially—reactivating memory and bonding through the communal ritual of the Lord’s Supper.
The beauty of many biblical metaphors is that they are able to resonate with daily life, connect a people with their history, and stimulate their imagination to see beyond their simple time-bound circumstances. They offer a glimpse into the future, into the spiritual realm and into arenas of life we have not considered. Story, metaphor and ritual go around our intellectual defenses, and reach to our inner world of feeling and the deep sensibilities that accompany our relationships.
Expression, communication and propaganda
The discussion of art as spontaneous expression has, unfortunately, been set
in opposition to thoughtful pre-meditated communication, as if something about
the latter is less faithful or authentically artistic. It goes back to the
question of whether art should be didactic or simply “art for art’s
sake.” Art works at many levels—from highway signs to gallery
contemplation—and countless ways in between. The arts can inform, illustrate,
edify, motivate, entertain, educate or decorate. They can reinforce or challenge
community norms and values, or illuminate the human condition. We affirm creative
diversity and strongly support a return to art that intersects meaningfully
with daily life.
But art that relates meaningfully to life must include art in relation to
the faith of the artist. The issue that arises here is the possibility of
art being propaganda. Generally we think of propaganda in negative terms,
but essentially it means “to make public.” Art that has religious
content can easily be thought of as propaganda, but that is not sufficient
reason to be negative about the work. When we think of propaganda we consider
how its style can at times be insistent and rigid, or it may be manipulative
and coercive, or deceptive and misleading. When art is used in these ways
it is not just expresing a point of view, it is seeking to force others to
accept that point of view.
Dualism and syncretism
What we refer to here as dualism is the view that separates the sacred/spiritual
from the profane/material. It is a false dichotomy that results in contempt
for the physicality of our working worlds, our homes, our geographies, and
our interior emotional lives. It de-materializes the kingdom of God, and undermines
the divine respect for the cultures we live in. Syncretism tries to bring
into harmony things that often cannot be reconciled. It is the tendency to
unite rather than separate. It moves us to identify with everything and everyone
around us, so that we blend together and minimize our differences.
These issues bear on the arts. Dualism diminishes the value of our embodied life and the materiality of so much of art, while syncretism advocates for a blended sprituality which undermines the biblical norm of Christ-centredness. Both of thsese tendencies show up in our cultures and in our faith communities. We need to be vigilant in resisting their influence, whether on our lives or on our art.
Artistic mastery
Artistic mastery, in any culture, is confirmed by that culture’s artistic
values and is always the result of extensive study and apprenticeship, often
over many years. Mastery is more than skill, knowledge and understanding.
It involves the wisdom of how to apply those qualities in the creative process
of what is being formed. In the hands of a master craftsman, artistic expression
can be a powerful vehicle for the perception, reframing and creative development
of “truth telling” that allows the arts to act as:
•Gateways to God’s creational, incarnational and redemptive
truths
•Mirrors to the collective/historical memory of cultural and
spiritual communities
•Thorns for provoking repentance or change in spiritual and
cultural communities
Artistic expression is meaningful work in the kingdom of God in any culture, and worthy of study, apprenticeship and the cultivation of mastery. There are no short-cuts to excellence. However, when pursued for its own sake, it can lead to pride and a driven and destructive perfectionism. Mastery that has a divine reference point will always reflect and honour the Master Artist—the one who is so supremely excellent.
OBSTACLES
The potential for artistry in the hands of Christians can be seriously
harmed by:
• Lack of training in the arts, and of education in art and cultural
history
• Too many compliments, acceptance of mediocrity, with indiscriminate
affirmation
• Too many rejections leading to discouragement
• Laziness and a weak work ethic
• Spiritual attack in various forms
• Censorship in certain forms
• Lack of appropriate facilities for training in the arts
• Lack of funding
STRATEGIES
The church should consider how it might take up the role of patron to
the arts by:
1. Developing a theology of creativity and beauty
2. Commissioning and funding arts projects within church and cultural community
3. Identifying and mentoring creative people within the church
4. Presenting and installing quality works of art in church sanctuaries
5. Devising short term “artist in residence” projects
6. Creating a study guide (and workshops) to develop creative-process skills
in the church
7. Building or adapting church and community facilities for arts education
and expression
8. Offering arts courses in partnership with local Christian artists and/or
schools of art
9. Developing an articulate artistic “voice” through critical
insight into its own creativity
BIBLICAL CASE STUDY (2)
Joseph the visual thinker
In the Joseph story (Genesis 37-50), we can study the idea of communal
skill development. Joseph has a gift of understanding visual code and metaphor
and an ability to communicate the meaning of images to others. In his family
culture this gift is recognized, and he is ridiculed by family members. Eventually
his brothers sell him into slavery in order to remove this troublemaker from
the family.
As a slave in Egypt and in isolation from his own culture, Joseph continues
with his strong faith in the God of Abraham and Isaac. He becomes a cultural
learner and through his obvious gifting in administration is constantly given
leadership roles. In prison his gifting in visual interpretation comes into
play again as he correctly explains the dreams of two of Pharaoh’s servants.
Eventually he is called before Pharaoh to interpret two disturbing dreams
that none of the court diviners can understand. With God’s help he correctly
foresees seven years of plenty followed by seven years of famine, but he does
not stop with merely giving the interpretation of the dreams. He uses his
gift of administration to outline a solution to the problem. The Pharaoh recognizes
his skills and gives him the authority to carry out his plan. Finally, he
is reunited with his family as they come to Egypt to seek help during the
famine.
In the end Joseph recognizes that God used him in a special way. As a visual
thinker empowered by God, he was able to save two entire cultures from extinction
through creative thinking, creative problem-solving, and successful communication
to authority.
TO: Act 2 Scene 3