Creativity and the Arts #4

What do Manet, Gauguin, Koons, Henson and Serrano all have in common? ART CONTROVERSY...

Who would have thought that an orchid, upswept hair, a black cat, and a bouquet of flowers would enhance the sexual explicitness of an artwork? Well in the day of Eduoard Manet's Olympia, 1863 these objects were recognized symbols of sexuality.

Art has been and will remain to be a source of cultural reflection, critique and confrontation.

So how are we to engage with art that we don’t agree with? Personally, I think we learn more about ourselves when we discover things we disagree with or find offensive. Controversy provokes a response and impassioned to stand up about truth. Pushing boundaries helps you know what you really think.

Since the arts have become less of the prerogative of the church, Christians have stepped back from debates and forums where art critiques, argues and searches for meaning in humanity. Rightly so have we taken a step back, but perhaps a too far back where there is no Christian voice being heard. After all, isn't this the very stuff that we were so good at talking about?

Steve Turner in Imagine:A vision for Christians and the arts 2001; says

… Consistently, Christians didn’t consume much art either. On the whole they didn’t own televisions (“the devil’s box), collect art or go to the theatre. Fiction, like dancing, was okay for children but not for adults. Rock music was worldly. Movies were suitable only if they were cartoon, family entertainment or, oddly enough, fact-based war epics. The reasoning was that most art was created by nonbelievers and could therefore damage our spiritual health...

Is this type of response the right reponse to 1 Thessalonians 5:1-22's threefold command for a discerning mind:

Judge everything, Cling to what is good, shun what is evil.

And...

...whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. Philippians. 4:8

But sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints. Ephesians 5:3

How far back do we need to stand?

Discernment is out of fashion. We all think we should have exactly what we want, with little regard to the effect it may have on ourselves and on others. As we discussed said last night: some images are just impossible to erase from your memory... and it is in our senses that much of our memory is stored in".

So how do we make clear distinctions and judgments to live lives worthy of the gospel, especially when we are labeled for going against accepted modern culture values.

At the same time, Christianity brings freedom and what suppose you don't find Manet's Olympia sexually stimulating, it doesn't envoke evil thoughts or desires - must you not view it because?

Personally, I think it depends.... may seem like a cop out but isn't that what discernment is all about? It's the tension we all live with in our everyday life... what is the godly choice?

And so " … we need to bring any work of art before the bar of moral criteria. We must ask questions about the moral intention of the artist. Is the purpose of a work to deprave or corrupt? If a work contains immoral behavior or evil, what is the context? It should be evident to us that the Bible contains many accounts of wicked behavior, sometimes very graphically portrayed. Works of art must not necessarily be condemned because they contain such violence, but context and intention have to be considered. (Christianity and the Arts - Jerram Barrs)

And so with all this in mind...
What say you about the Statue of David?
Is this work reason for concern - is it art controversy?

Creativity and the Arts #3

The 2008 Biennale of Sydney

REVOLUTIONS :: Forms that turn

Revolutions is a historic look at the contemporary art world. It shows works through different eras that questioned the norm, that comments on world and art of ages past. It is one of the most over-stimulating and overwhelming exhibitions I have been to.

There was so much crammed into the exhibition. There were kinetic works that demanded your engagement there were mirrored reflections, soundscapes, bells ringing, whiteboard art, optic illusions, films, moving walls, sketches, paintings, styrofoam artworks that looked like they were breathing and more... It was hard to focus and fully give your attention to the artwork in front of you.

This exhibition is trying to explore the idea of creating possibilities from going against the mainstream or dominant perspective. When we are able to steer away from the hum-drum, safe, same old same old, traditional, proven ways of old, we free our minds to the endless creative power and choices of fashioning something new or exploring the vast alternatives. I think this is a great theme to explore, but not sure if the collection as a whole said this or whether a whole lot of artworks individually said this.

One of the clearest examples of what this exhibition is trying to explore is Duchamp's bicycle wheel. It is placed upside down. It alters our perception of what a wheel is. It makes you think, doesn't it? What is it's purpose? What is it if now it's upside down and functionless?

There was soundscape by a Japanese artist. The viewer was drawn in to press a button and hold it down to experience the different bells that rung. The button was bells throughout the exhibition forcing people to be apart of the work whether they chose to participate or not. And so it would scare people, annoy people, and disturb tours. I found it hilarious that one of the tour guides told a viewer that they needed to stop pressing the bell as her group is unable to hear her. I listened in to the lady's judgement on this bell artwork and she decided that the artist was wrong in calling it a sound landscape and should rather be called a sound sculpture. How presumptuous, especially at an exhibition that is supposed to alter perceptions and get you questioning?? Maybe it did get the guide questioning, hence her conclusion and so the artwork has fulfilled its point?

The works that got me thinking the most were the one about mass production, the facelessness of life as a number and the mundane nature of life. It reminded me of Ecclesiastes and the meaninglessness of vapour. It made me sad and was slightly depressing. I really appreciated the amazing technical detail in the works!

Another highlight was a patron in bare feet. The art gallery space is one of my favourite places for the same reason I like Airports. Both these spaces host a strange and diverse bunch of people all with their own stories and quirky behaviours. I love to work out who they are, what relationships they are in, what their occupation is and why they are where they are? So much fun!

Wasn't the biggest fan of this collection. It gave me a headache!

Creativity and the Arts #2

Week Two :: Meet the Artists

• Can anyone justify why are the arts valuable? and why Christians should be artists and/or audiences?
• If yes or if no, what does the relationship between the Church and the Arts have?

Art is often seen to be superfluous and not efficient. It takes time, production is often done in isolation, it can be very expensive, demands hard work. Such energy could be better spent elsewhere, right? People need to hear the gospel to be saved, so why paint landscapes, write poetry, compose or play music?

I have heard numerous Christian artists and creatives share about the times they have resented and wished away their abilities and God given gifts. Reasons for such resentment often include: just wanting to fit in, the pragmatism of the gospel (importance of bible teaching), being told you cannot be a Christian and be an artist, its just too hard, you can't do gigs on Sunday's because your Minister thinks you are falling away...

We often, in subtle ways, place occupations into hierarchies... Minister and Word gifts are top of the list, followed by Christian teachers who can impact the youth who will be our tomorrow, Doctors and Nurses who can travel overseas to do tent-making gospel work and/or compassion work, then Lawyers who can provide the monetary support for the gospel and accountants are great on Parish Council. Artists and cultural produces are often far down our list of importance to the body of Christ, and often only are considered valuable for evangelistic efforts. We often only engage with the arts to 'reach' people 'creatively' with the gospel.

It would seem that Christian artists unfairly need to justify their occupation, and its effectiveness for it to be valid. However we need to resist boxing our artist and creative brethren in. The evangelistic ability or the ability to produce art that is a paraphrased sermon should not be the measuring stick for valued art by Christians.

Art is an amazing forum for the discussion and debate within our society. Although it is not the only concern for all artists or Christian artists to make bold statements and ideologies about humanity, art does provide an arena for where truth, identity, origins, beauty and behaviour is explored:"... debates are taking place in cinema, painting, dance, fiction, poetry, and theatre on issues where Christians have something to give and yet are not even being heard" (Steve Turner - Imagine) . Despite this, it does not mean that Christians should only be in the arts to dialogue faith, Christians are to be doing everything they do to the glory of God, whether that is making coffee, creating reports, presenting proposals or performing Brecht.

Producing and performing art that affects and awakens people to the world around them and thier own emotions is an amazing thing. To see a Christian content and satisfied in Christ as they enjoy the gifts God has given them and embrace the person God has made them is a joyous and God exalting thing in and of itself - ceramist, surgeon, violinist, plumber or graphic designer.

Tonight at Replenish, we heard from RCA a Christian, a daughter of an architect and ceramist, an artist herself, and an educator. She shared with us how she was told when she was 18 heading to Sydney College of the Arts that she would not be a Christian by the end of the four years study and even told as bluntly that she could not possibly be a Christian if she was to pursue such a career.

We also hear from TD a Christian, a husband to a design student, son of a doctor and lectuerer, and a musician. He shared how and why he entered into this arena, the frustrations of being a creative and the blurred lines between work and leisure, and the constant justification he feels to make use of his music in the church as means of validation for his work.

It is intersting to that Artists so strongly feel this need to validate their occupation. I don't hear it as often said, oh well as long as I am using my adminstration skills for the church am I allowed to be a personal assistant. I think this also has to do with our culture (church culture) fo getting our identity so wrapped up in our occupation. Our identity should be soley based upon our relationships. It would be lovely to hear 'oh I am a child of God, husband to Jane, Son of Bob and Beatrice, Friend to Joe, Luke and Will and Father to Thomas and Susan' rather than 'oh I am a banker'. We so quickly jump to defining ourselves by our occupation and then quickly judge people accordingly.

Artists and creatives have a unique place in our culture to shape and inform our society and tell the stories of people, reflect on the anxieties and record the questions of our day. It would be great to have our gifted Christian brethren to pursue careers in the mainstream arts and not the religious subculture.

A hurdle that does lie in the way of the relationship between the Church and the arts is the arts tendency to utilize its position and power within society to shock our world. The arts have moved a long way from its days of being the prerogative of the church. Today it is the world that dominates the arts, often with concepts that are offensive to Christians, which has seen the church in recent years take a step back as we often don't know how to debate the truth with our world.

More on that in Creativity and the Arts #4 - Art in Controversy.
Next post - Creativity on the Arts #3 will be a Benniale Review

Creativity and the Arts #1

Tonight was the first night of my Replenish course "Creativity and the Arts" at church.

Week One: God - the Creative Genius.

God is creative, ingenious and awe-inspiring. He is the only one who can create out of nothing, no external resource is required. He needs no materials to create from, he needs no tools or materials to create with. He creates out of the invisible (Hebrews 11:3) His powerful word (Hebrews 11:3, Gen 1) and his will (Rev 4:11) are abundantly sufficient to create the heavens, the earth and humanity.

His creation tells me his is a God of goodness and perfection. Each day testifies that his purposeful creation is good (1:10; 12; 18; 21; 25; 31). God himself is perfect and he has fashioned everything accordingly. He didn't make a mistake and he didn't produce any waste or byproduct. He designed and made all things from the intricate root systems in rain-forests to the stars in the sky, to the hair, skin and eye colour of humans to the "plants yielding seed, and fruit trees bearing fruit..."(1:11)

We have so many colours to enjoy on this earth and one of the good questions my dear friend Lizzie and I wonder about is whether there will be any new colours in heaven? Or do we get to enjoy all the colours of God's spectrum now?

This all tells me that God has no limit on his creativity. No one can match his imagination. Unlike us, God's ability to create is unstoppable and infinite - there are no limits for him. He creates species, types, varieties of trees, plants (strelizia, roses, agapanthus) and animals (mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians...). And now think of the different kinds of roses and the different fragrance each one has. He is profuse. There is no one like our God.

God is truely worthy of our praise! Can you deny his magnificance, oppulence and existence? His eternal power and divine nature has been reveled to us in the abundance, beauty and handiwork of his creation. (Romans 1, Psalm 19). Please don't ignore him, for the world around us makes us without an excuse to acknowlege him as Creator, Sustainer and Ruler of all.

So what do you think it means for humanity, if God is this creative genius?
If we are made in his likeness what might this infer about us?
What is man that God is so mindful of him (Psalm 8)?

We need more Fujimura's...

Praise Jesus for Faith Visuals for producing this clip!

Makoto Fujimura

He is an artist.
He is intelligent.
He paints.
He writes.

He proclaims Christ.

Mako is a Christian of the reformed persuasion.
Mako and Tim Keller are mates.
Mako is the Creative Director & Founder Artist of IAM
Keller is on the Advisory Board of IAM.

IAM gathers artists and creative catalysts to wrestle with the deep questions of art, faith and humanity in order to inspire the creative community to engage the culture that is and create the world that ought to be.

I am sad that I haven't been introduced to Makoto earlier... but very thankful that I now have.

"I am a Christian. I am also an artist and creative, and what I do is driven by my faith experience."
— Makoto Fujimura said in a 2007 article by Associated Press reporter Eric Gorsk

He and the artists that he as gathered around him have created a new realm where the arts and religion meet. He and IAM are doing great things for Christianity and the Arts. He is bringing faith to the cultural discussion table and putting the gospel on the agenda. I praise Jesus for the way he and the many artists are using their gifts to express the truths of the God who gave them.

As critic Robert Kushner has written, "The idea of forging a new kind of art, about hope, healing, redemption, refuge, while maintaining visual sophistication and intellectual integrity is a growing movement, one which finds Fujimura's work at the vanguard."

I've just bought his book, became a member of IAM (not that I will get much benefit beng here in Aust, but think its a gospel initiative that I want to support) and iwll use Makoto for the God and Art Course I am running at my church in the coming month.

We need more people like Makoto!

Which Doctor would you choose...

#1

#2

#3

#4

#5

Looking at their portraits who would you want as your doctor?

#1 I'd want him to diagnose me - he looks like a doer, a doctor of action!
#2 I'd want him to operate on me - his hands are the focal point, they are huge and so I reckon he has the gift with the scalpel.
#3 I am not sure about him. The style of painting looks like he could be friendly and so I'd want to tell him what is wrong with me. But the style looks bit story-book like and so a little fake.
#4 I think he belongs on Some Mothers do have 'em or Yes Prime Minister
#5 I reckon he could be on the team to diagnose me. He is mysterious and so a genius!

God and Art...

Replenish 08 is coming up in July - 4 week training term for CBTB.

As previously mentioned on my blog, I am creating and running a course on God and Art, with a couple from morning church.

We came up with the 4 weeks and it's content the other week:
WEEK 1: The Creative Genius

• The Perfection and detail in His creation (the intricacies of root systems & complexity of humans)

• The Variety in His creation (not one type of bird but many, not one colour but many!)

• The Abundance in His creation (stars, flowers, sand, water)

• The Innovation in His creation (to create out of nothing)

Art practice: Convey, with paper, what you learn about Jesus from a section of a gospel narrative?

WEEK 2: Christians in Art

• 3 guest artists: Visual Artist, Ceramist & Dancer. Each will share how they use their gifts in creativity in their medium, how they make moral judgements, use their art for gospel/mission and how they might engage with the secular world using their art.

Art practice: Express a characteristic of yourself in a shape using clay?

WEEK 3: Engaging with Art

• Excursion to the art gallery.

Art practice: Detail your response to an artwork: in prose, ink or discussion!

WEEK 4: Art in Controversy.

• How does the Christian reconcile the difference between the nude and porn?

• How do we respond to artists like Jule Rrap, Andres Serrano & Jeff Koons etc?

• What are the boundaries? How can scripture shape our response?

• If artists are provoking us to think about what we believe, How can Christians be provocative for the gospel? How do we engage the world to consider God and his worldview?

Art practice: Installation Art!

________________________________________


Another 'arty' thing I am doing at church is offering a 4 week community course (maybe 6 if I have enough material) in August or September, on Acting in the Everyday.

My aim is to have fun, teach a few drama techniques that will help increase and boost confidence - and provide opportunity for relationships to develop between the adult students that come along. A big part of the course will be teaching my theory on the Art of Conversation that I developed over the last two years...more on that in a later entry!

Please be praying that God be glorified in all these activities.
May the name of Christ be made great!

Art?...

http://guillermohabacucvargas.blogspot.com/

PetitionOnline.com - is a pretty interesting concept in itself!

Chekhov, Gorky & Strindberg (Sex, Lies & Samovars)...

2nd Year Actor's Centre company presented the above tonight! I went to see a friend who was performing and ended up bumping into two old uni mates - I enjoyed!

Stand Out Quotes of the Night:

from 'Scenes from Philistines by Maxim Gorky'
Adaptation by Andrew Upton


Opinions don't like to be silent



from 'Scenes from Uncle Vanya by Anton Chekhov'

ASTROV: And when they don't know what label to stick on my forehead, they say "he is a queer fellow, very queer!" I am fond of forestry - that's queer!
___
SONYA: I am not good looking. YELENA: You have beautiful hair.

_________________________________________________________

Watching these plays has made me want to read some more Chekhov! He has amazing wit and insight into life: a wasted life. Which is I think is what I saw as the linking theme between each snippet of plays by the three Russian playwrights...
the meaninglessness of mores, the valuelessness of wealth and the fruitlessness of unrequited love.

What also impressed me is the clear shared culture of the plays (1888-1902?) with that of our own: sex, lies, broken relationships, pursuit of wealth, fortune and a name (oh not to forget tea - we all love a cuppa!).