Fundamentalism and Art

"Fundamentalism and Art are mutually exclusive. There is no such thing as fundamentalist art."
Steven Pressfield in The War of Art (Go buy this book.)

The artist and the fundamentalist are both individuals who are struggling with what do to with freedom. Art moves us forward to a new future, engaging new ideas, new realities, new experiences. To the artist, humanity is valuable full of possibilities for redemption. The fundamentalist moves us backward, to a better, more pure day, or time, or idea.

To the fundamentalist, we know the ideas, there's no need for new ones. They are driven to take themselves and the rest of us back to a time when it was right. There is only one right, and they know it. To disagree with them, is to be outside the bounds of God's understanding, to be unorthodox, to be heretical.

To the artist, God is transforming the world (individuals, communities and his creation) into a new creation. The hermeneutical lens is fundamentally different for the artist. They see Jesus as bring restoration, but a restoration for a new future in which God co -labors with us.

In the christian ghetto, artists are neutered of the power of new idea, to question, to wonder and wander, to say things in new ways because the least mature person, ie the fundamentalist, see new ideas as dangerous and against the very realities of God.

This my friends is why we have such crappy art. Why our books have little to know edge, why our art is generic or moralistic or simplistic or about the lowest common denominator of faith.

This is why the artist is often on the fringe of society anyway. They are exploring the things that make us uncomfortable, whether it be music, preaching, writing, dance, or painting.

Art and fundamentalism are mutually exclusive. Take heart... if you are in the sites of fundamentalism, your art probably holds more power.

Otherwise, go see Fireproof this weekend.

Today: Draw or Paint a picture

Spend some time on it. ask a pre-school child if they are an artist and they will answer yes, without hesitation. the older kids get, the less they think they can draw. by 5th grade most kids have stopped drawing, or thinking it's worth their time.
This is not because they are bad, or have nothing to paint or draw, but that they don't want to be made fun of. Their understanding of themselves as creative and artist is drying up.

You most certainly are older than a 5th grader. When was the last time you sketched a picture. (I'm not talking about those doodles you make during staff meeting.)

Someone told you you couldn't draw, or you felt like they did.

Draw or paint a picture today and reclaim a part of who you are.

Art and the Church

The quote below is from nakedpastor's post on how poorly churches engage the arts.
One of my hopes for our new church is that we will be a people who embrace artists and the art that they create.

Here's the quote:

The church is generally a censorious community. In this environment art is sanitized, tame and conformist. It is still art, but functions as a reinforcement of the system. Expression is controlled and edited from start to finish. This kills art because it kills creativity because it kills freedom. Instead, allow people to be free without scrutiny. (I even hate the word “allow” because it assumes it needs to be given when it is already ours.) In due time, after people begin to realize that they are loved and accepted unconditionally, the creative spirit will surface and artistic diversity will abound. This is the harder but more genuine way. It means taking care of the roots. If the root is unfettered freedom, then fruitful and artistic living happens. It is the diversity of human expression of personality that makes the artful life. Until this is nurtured art will be repressed.

Link

Beauty

(thanks to Jim )

Creative Story Telling

Ira Glass (from NPR) who is an amazing storyteller, on the process of telling a great story. I"m not sure why I'm so fascinated by this. I'm going to have to reflect on this.. but i really like what he says here. So make your own application.