I found this among material hidden away since the 1980's. I find it a rebuke that the time between has not seen progress with
this opportunity. The University of the Third Age experience this year ( 2011) offers at least a move to re-engage with this challenge. However, the focus on drawing animals is not quite what Rick Ball and Chris Neild intended.
In 'The Refining Fire" by Dawn Mendham, Chris reminds us of Genesis 2 where God hands over to Adam the freedom to name the animals. Chris points out that the Creative initiative was handed over to Adam. It is not a matter of him guessing the right answers- that is, what God really wanted them named - but a matter of total freedom and control. There were, in fact, no 'right' answers but Adam's answers which God encouraged and accepted ( If accepted was necessary). Chris believes that this freedom to create is still with us - that it is not a matter of creating according to divine blueprint but a matter of claiming freedom and taking responsibility for its use" ( pp 111 -112)
As "Image Bearers of God" and redeemed .... 'In Christ" this is most especially the case.
This is the challenge that I note below but am aware that at times it is fear that prevents its exploration.
Report of an ELM Centre Seminar
The first Saturday saw me doodling to the Glory of God
To find a shape that is satisfying to me! … is this being self-centred?
God, are you saying that being made in your Creative Image I can do something that pleases me? And this will please You?
Wow! And do I hear you correctly? I don’t have to stick with the squares, triangles, cubes and spheres that you use to make things?
I can make something new? I am just a little scared about this. I don’t know whether I can ……. want ….. should …. [ What’s that? You say I must stop these idle questions and get on with the drawing. God, you know I often ask questions to resist doing what I know…. ]
Wait a bit! I came to do an Introduction to Aesthetics not a Development of my Spiritual Life. [ I’ll do that some other time]
You mean You can reach me through any area of my life …. [ Isn’t there just one little area I can have to myself!!! There is a caution here. Does the freedom given me by God (The I Am, Creating and Covenant Keeping One) allow .. encompass to be myself ?]
The following Saturday I was offered the use of a magic brush …. To use for a year to do as I wished.
What uses? To reproduce what is already there? To make food for the world’s starving …. To brush out evil from the world.
How unfree am I to jump in and simply draw. Must I be aware of my own frailties and be cautious in how I use the brush?
Given the work of the Holy Spirit in my life and in the whole world around me I suggest I can be bold and make those brush strokes confidently and with a deep sense of joy.
Showing posts with label PICTURES PAINTINGS FILMS AND IMAGES. Show all posts
Showing posts with label PICTURES PAINTINGS FILMS AND IMAGES. Show all posts
Tuesday, 28 June 2011
Saturday, 28 August 2010
Belief Enriches Art - The Guardian 27 August 2010
Belief enriches art
We need to get beyond the cultural cringe of modern Christianity to understand great art
• Maggi Dawn guardian.co.uk, Friday 27 August 2010 11.44 BST
The question: What is the point of Christian arts?
I'm inclined to think that dividing works of art up into sacred and secular is a somewhat arbitrary exercise. Of course we commonly use a kind of shorthand to describe work that deals with certain subject matter as "religious art". But beyond that, what might make a work "religious" exactly?
If it depended upon the artist being devout, a great deal of religious art would no longer qualify, while many secular scenes would – Caravaggio's paintings of biblical scenes, for instance, would be out, while Van Gogh's Starry Night would be in. But the meaning of a work is in any case as much dependent upon the interpretative frame given to it by the listener, the reader or the viewer. A work might be "sacred" simply because it is being viewed through the eyes of faith.
I'm not sure, then, that it's a simple matter to say what makes a work religious, but what I am sure of is that ignoring the religious content in works of art does diminish their sense. That's not to say you have to buy into the belief system, but without a working knowledge of Christianity, much of the art, music and literature in this corner of the world remains a closed book to the viewer.
Early last year in a Guardian interview Andrew Motion, then poet laureate, lamented the increasing level of biblical illiteracy he found among his students. Reading literature, he said, "…requires you to know things about the Fall, who some of the people in the Bible are, ideas of sinfulness and virtue. It's also essential for Tennyson, Browning and Arnold, and needs to be there in the background of the modernist period." He called for teaching of the Bible to be included in general education, not for religious reasons, but because "…it's an essential piece of cultural luggage."
I couldn't agree more. Without knowing Genesis you miss many of the undercurrents to Chaucer, Milton and Dante, say nothing of modern writers like Steinbeck and T S Eliot; and without the gospels a good slice of Shakespeare is torn from its roots. "Measure for measure" makes us think of Shakespeare; his audience would have thought of Jesus.
Last year I went to two large exhibitions of Van Gogh's paintings, each of which included several of Van Gogh's paintings of "the Sower" – a subject he returned to a number of times. The galleries had provided many good notes, showing the influence of other painters he had followed, how he had developed the theme over time, and how his use of colour changed between the paintings. Yet nowhere was there any comment on the fact that, as can be seen from Van Gogh's letters, an important inspiration was the parable of the sower, which he spent much time contemplating, and regarded as a metaphor for his own work.
Van Gogh's work is evidence of the fact that good art goes beyond merely illustrating or re-telling an old story; it creates a dialogue with its sources, taking an old established idea and giving it a new twist. I recently studied various poems, paintings and sculptures of the annunciation, a story originally told in Luke's gospel. Many medieval depictions of the annunciation show Mary's meek submission to the will of God, but more recent works subtly shift her role so that she is seen as a woman empowered to choose her own destiny. Both Noel Rowe's Magnificat and Edwin Muir's Annunciation suggest that God doesn't hold (or hold on to) all the cards but takes the highly risky and self-effacing strategy of placing the destiny of the world into the hands of an unknown peasant girl. This is the glory of art – to overturn the well-worn tracks of unchallenged ideas and make us see the world through new eyes.
There is a "cultural cringe" about Christianity at present; in a post-Christian age many people want to distance themselves from a religion they no longer wish to be associated with. The place of religion in public life needs to continue to be negotiated, but it would be a mistake, in my view, to let such discussion extend to cutting ourselves adrift from layer upon layer of understanding of our cultural heritage.
We need to get beyond the cultural cringe of modern Christianity to understand great art
• Maggi Dawn guardian.co.uk, Friday 27 August 2010 11.44 BST
The question: What is the point of Christian arts?
I'm inclined to think that dividing works of art up into sacred and secular is a somewhat arbitrary exercise. Of course we commonly use a kind of shorthand to describe work that deals with certain subject matter as "religious art". But beyond that, what might make a work "religious" exactly?
If it depended upon the artist being devout, a great deal of religious art would no longer qualify, while many secular scenes would – Caravaggio's paintings of biblical scenes, for instance, would be out, while Van Gogh's Starry Night would be in. But the meaning of a work is in any case as much dependent upon the interpretative frame given to it by the listener, the reader or the viewer. A work might be "sacred" simply because it is being viewed through the eyes of faith.
I'm not sure, then, that it's a simple matter to say what makes a work religious, but what I am sure of is that ignoring the religious content in works of art does diminish their sense. That's not to say you have to buy into the belief system, but without a working knowledge of Christianity, much of the art, music and literature in this corner of the world remains a closed book to the viewer.
Early last year in a Guardian interview Andrew Motion, then poet laureate, lamented the increasing level of biblical illiteracy he found among his students. Reading literature, he said, "…requires you to know things about the Fall, who some of the people in the Bible are, ideas of sinfulness and virtue. It's also essential for Tennyson, Browning and Arnold, and needs to be there in the background of the modernist period." He called for teaching of the Bible to be included in general education, not for religious reasons, but because "…it's an essential piece of cultural luggage."
I couldn't agree more. Without knowing Genesis you miss many of the undercurrents to Chaucer, Milton and Dante, say nothing of modern writers like Steinbeck and T S Eliot; and without the gospels a good slice of Shakespeare is torn from its roots. "Measure for measure" makes us think of Shakespeare; his audience would have thought of Jesus.
Last year I went to two large exhibitions of Van Gogh's paintings, each of which included several of Van Gogh's paintings of "the Sower" – a subject he returned to a number of times. The galleries had provided many good notes, showing the influence of other painters he had followed, how he had developed the theme over time, and how his use of colour changed between the paintings. Yet nowhere was there any comment on the fact that, as can be seen from Van Gogh's letters, an important inspiration was the parable of the sower, which he spent much time contemplating, and regarded as a metaphor for his own work.
Van Gogh's work is evidence of the fact that good art goes beyond merely illustrating or re-telling an old story; it creates a dialogue with its sources, taking an old established idea and giving it a new twist. I recently studied various poems, paintings and sculptures of the annunciation, a story originally told in Luke's gospel. Many medieval depictions of the annunciation show Mary's meek submission to the will of God, but more recent works subtly shift her role so that she is seen as a woman empowered to choose her own destiny. Both Noel Rowe's Magnificat and Edwin Muir's Annunciation suggest that God doesn't hold (or hold on to) all the cards but takes the highly risky and self-effacing strategy of placing the destiny of the world into the hands of an unknown peasant girl. This is the glory of art – to overturn the well-worn tracks of unchallenged ideas and make us see the world through new eyes.
There is a "cultural cringe" about Christianity at present; in a post-Christian age many people want to distance themselves from a religion they no longer wish to be associated with. The place of religion in public life needs to continue to be negotiated, but it would be a mistake, in my view, to let such discussion extend to cutting ourselves adrift from layer upon layer of understanding of our cultural heritage.
Saturday, 10 January 2009
The Dancer
/
This drawing is the work of Rick Ball, a fine Australian artist who has 'gone missing' .. we think, at least in the art world which is a sad loss. ( Sunday 11th January 2009 .... I discovered by referring to google.com.au .. that Rick is not missing AND he is not lost to the world of Art. For me - no, for Jocelyn and I - both of these statements are important. We valued our contact with him as person and as I noted in the side notes of this blogspot I valued him as teacher / aesthete ... it was more than art )
While this drawing has a particular title it belongs to a number of works Rick drew connected to "David's Dance" ... King David's 'uninhibited display of exuberance recorded in 2 Samuel 6.
The thought of a political leader dancing and leaping with joy before God appealed to Rick"
cf reference in Dawn Mendham's book "The Refining Fire" an Albatross publication 0 86760 035 7.
You might consider a visit to Rick's website www.rickball.com.au
This drawing draws attention to one who is severely limited yet he / she ... the figure also dances. Yes, he may not achieve yet he continues to reach out ... to dance.
This drawing is the work of Rick Ball, a fine Australian artist who has 'gone missing' .. we think, at least in the art world which is a sad loss. ( Sunday 11th January 2009 .... I discovered by referring to google.com.au .. that Rick is not missing AND he is not lost to the world of Art. For me - no, for Jocelyn and I - both of these statements are important. We valued our contact with him as person and as I noted in the side notes of this blogspot I valued him as teacher / aesthete ... it was more than art )
While this drawing has a particular title it belongs to a number of works Rick drew connected to "David's Dance" ... King David's 'uninhibited display of exuberance recorded in 2 Samuel 6.
The thought of a political leader dancing and leaping with joy before God appealed to Rick"
cf reference in Dawn Mendham's book "The Refining Fire" an Albatross publication 0 86760 035 7.
You might consider a visit to Rick's website www.rickball.com.au
This drawing draws attention to one who is severely limited yet he / she ... the figure also dances. Yes, he may not achieve yet he continues to reach out ... to dance.
Monday, 24 March 2008
Art Gallery Visit
Canberra, when visited, involves a journey to the National Art Gallery. On this occasion we had our own guide - a very close friend. John Brack's "Third Daughter" provided a personal recollection with accompanying smile. A remembrance to be shared.
Anselm Kiefer's "Twilight of the West" and Jannis Kounellis' Tryptich both called for pause, step back, ponder, be disturbed. The latter caused a problem. Can I use a word beyond tryptich to describe this work or does "naming" the work preclude another from naming it? Naming of course enables a person to take some control and even box in what the artist intended. Jocelyn, Laurel - our friend and I all gave a different word to describe the work. Mind you, as long as we acknowledge that all we were saying was to express our response I suppose it was ok. However, too often the first to name sets the boundaries of the responses.
The middle, and focus piece was a T cross - no person, an overcoat draped over the cross bar. The left piece - three posts II I with trousers over II and a shoe on top of I: The right piece with - two horizontal bars. Coat hanging on one end, a hat on the other.
Suggestive of Christ's crucifixion BUT no person. Jannis Kounellis, a Greek Communist who went to live in Italy had no place for Christ nor a christ figure. Far too desolate for that. Loss, despair come to mind.
Then came the confrontation. James Gleason - "The Citadel" ( see above) produced in 1945 while lecturing in Sydney Teachers' College; 'too aggressive', they said, to hang in London's leading surrealist gallery in 1949.
Gleeson writes - "The human citadel of hope smashed and mutilated ... shattered ... bones have grown into thorns in some places. It is a human landscape with many cave-like forms.
I have substituted for war-torn brick and stone [ destroyed cities too readily become a business opportunity for the likes of Dick Chaney's Halliburton] a symbolic pattern of human flesh, bone, teeth and brains. [Who can restore these?] These are the horrors of concentration camp and battlefield seen through the eyes of a surrealist.
This painting demands to be hanging in the offices of all involved in the decision to go to war.
Gleeson's work is worth viewing ... no more than view, that can become voyeuristic . They are confronting. "Images of Spring disguised in lethal attitudes of Duty", "A Cloud of Witnesses" and "We Inhabit the Corrosive Litoral of Habit" are three other paintings that demanded my attention.
Friday, 16 February 2007
Aesthetics in context
My first posting introduced by way of a statement recaste as question the role of aesthetics came from Bishop N.T. Wright of Durham. The following sermon provides useful starting point. His reference to artists and aesthetes was affirmed at both his Sydney and Brisbane conferences at Easter 2006. Such folk were given voice at question time.
Read it here: Apocalyptic and the Beauty of God (Isaiah 65. 17–25; Revelation 21.9–27), a sermon at Harvard Memorial Chapel, October 22 2006 by the William Belden Noble Lecturer, Bishop N. T. Wright(Bishop of Durham.
Read it here: Apocalyptic and the Beauty of God (Isaiah 65. 17–25; Revelation 21.9–27), a sermon at Harvard Memorial Chapel, October 22 2006 by the William Belden Noble Lecturer, Bishop N. T. Wright(Bishop of Durham.
Tuesday, 13 February 2007
An interesting quote
From Tom Wright, which I discovered:
Is aesthetics to be a border around reality or a window on reality?
Is aesthetics to be a border around reality or a window on reality?
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)
