Art is a 'relection'. It is not 'the goal' but the 'messanger of the goal'. Art is like John the Baptist in the sense, that he speaks of, and acts for something bigger and greater (what usually the Artist himself dictates).
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Art. It is a reflection of the Heart. Art. It is one of the most lasting effects of humanity on the earth, other than the effects of the fall and sin...Art is what outlives us. Art is a reflection of ideas, theories, beliefs, faiths, worldviews, politics, religions, and individuals emotions, goals, dreams, and prophecies. Art is 'more' than a creative outlet. Art is more than paint on a canvas, ink on paper, a pretty design, a beautiful portrait. Art is more than feelings and chords, touching movies, moving songs. Because art is what outlives us, because art is the produce of the heart...think of the Pyramids in Egypt. I wonder how long they thought they would stand. Perhaps they really didn't imagine that other people would enter them, raid them, or maybe they didn't imagine that they would last through the age of digital photographs. The Pyramids, and the architecture of Egypt of one of many examples of art and ideals that last and impact generations, and peoples, and cultures to a very 'great' extent. The temples that are still standing in Egypt still preach from their walls, covered in ancient language and pictures. For art tells a great deal about the civilization, the people, the beliefs, and the politics of it's time.
Artist's are Prophets of their Worldview, and Art is the reflection of something bigger than it's self.
Another example, on the impact of art...would be the ruins and artifacts of Ancient Rome....Once in awhile I gape when I stand back and realize how very much of the beliefs, politics, religions, and pagan aways civilization long dead continue to reign in our modern society. It is as if man's desire for humanism, self worship and paganism doesn't ever die. We show him the cross, and yet he clings to his bags filled with the idols and ways of his old religion. And to go into the obvious reasons for this, would consist of an entire blog post. But in order to stick to topic; consider the influence of Rome, Greece, Egypt, Maya, and such places on current society. Do you even notice it? The pillars of the white house, the false god statues resurrected in the common places, the symbols of death and child sacrifice printed on the tee shirts in the mall. People picking up the customs of pagan beauty, and mixing them in with Christianity. I feel sorry for man, he has been immersed in the world, and he no longer sees how deep he swims in waters un-captured for/by Jesus.
This past year I've been going over the 'Classics of Liturature'. Learning about the history of the Authors, and recognizing how they were effected ideals and even the art before them. The Authors personal ideas, politics, beliefs all push up from the pages. And thousands of people read their books, and many if not most of them, although they be titled 'Classics' are really nothing more than bibles of humanistic or rebellious ideas. Paganism and Humanism, run hand in hand, and are two things you can notice, if trained, quite easily in any form of art.
Humanism can also be defined: "a.1. A Worship of Man...What does it mean to Worship Man? What does it mean to be humanistic? Well for one it means 'rasing human choice' above 'God's world', it means raising human intellect and opinion over what 'God' says is wrong, and what is sin etc. There is also a great portrayal of Humanism today by:2. A Worship of the 'body', 3. A Worship of 'Man's' Creation 4. Rebellion (against God and Holiness) 5. A Love for the Art of the World.
Art's greatest Enemy is the Rise of 'Humanism'...which in Europe was raised by a passion for 'self glorification' through 'knowledge' and an 'understanding of human beauty'. They started loving Man's Ways, and He ability to think too much. They would do anything for knowledge. They sent people across the way to Rome, and dug for answers. They uncovered 'Art' in various forms, 1. Pagan literature, images, statues...and they brought some of these artifacts back to England. Soon there man decided that it was acceptable to paint nude models, since therefore the high of Rome did so, Soon man went all out for their love or the 'Classical' (Classical Humanism) which carried them to the lengths of calling themselves by Greek names, decking themselves in togas, and celebrating holidays according to the 'Roman clander' and not the Church Calender. They were stirred by the Humanism of Greece and or Rome....But how could this be? How and by what, could the impact of Rome and Pagan Humanism still be alive or be influenced by? By it's Art.... Rome was dead in a sense, it's people of ancient times were dead. But it's art out lived them. And changed tons of people in effect.
- Europe, 1421-81 The Rise of Humanism
"The tasks of penetrating to the heart of the mystery of man (that is man), and of seeking to find the meaning of the world and of life itself...The faculty on which the humanist prided himself, was his capacity to observe, test, and study the nature of things...According to one Socratic Maxim, Truth must be sought in the free collision of ideas. At this juncture medieval sholasticism, which was founded on Divine Revelation and had constant recourse to spiritual and traditional arguments, was bound to be outmoded. Most unjustly it was relegated to the dust debris of the past which the new society intended to destroy...
Classic humanism contained something besides cultural resources and means of expression, something more than 'the humanities' + it implied a certain concept of the world, and a particular attitude to life.
'O A Sclepiades,What a wondrous thing is Man!' - Hermes Trimegistius...The further the century progressed the more humanism tended to become a doctrine founded upon man alone, on his 'wonderous' nature and boundless possibilities. There was a clear danger here of complete submersion. In the Christian perspective; God, not man, was, and is, the dominant factor..yet, for some, "Christianity" itself became fundamentally humanist since it recognized the unique character of man, and made him the recipient of revelation. But while Christianity praised nature, it made it subject to Divine Grace; although it used reason, it was a reason ordered by faith; and it exalted man only in so far as it recognized in hi a Divine image. The danger now was that pride would win the day, and that unique man, natural, reasonable man, would decide to do without God....- Henri Daneil-Rops, The Protestant Reformation
Just One Artist/Humanist:
Italian: Marsilo Ficino; Author of a treatise on the 'True Religion' sought to make middle ground between Humanism and Christianity, mixing magic and paganism in it as well...
(Therein lay the real peril- most humanists, 'sincere' Christians though they were, allowed an element of paganism to linger in the centre of their thoughts, not perceiving it to be irreconcilable with their faith...Nor did they realize that this exaltation of man, which they professed so loudly and which, in the prevailing atmosphere, feel on all too many willing ears- would end by setting up man as the rival of God....They preached the love of nature, and beauty made by human hands. but never determined at what point it could become dangerous, unless rigid moral boundaries were imposed upon it.
In 1450, the first period of the 'Renaissance' was over, and the second had begun....Most all the famous Artists, immortalized man's basest passions, violence, cynicism, pride and sensuality. Paganism was suggesting it's own themes more and more insistently, and the same brushes and chisels that were used to evoke Christ, the blessed virgin and the saints, were no less happily employed in representing the nudes of Greek and Roman mythology....
- (Read More of: The Protestant Reformation by, Henri Daniel-Rops 1901-1965
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The fact is, movies, books, music, paintings, literature, sculptures, all of it...It's Art, and it's Influential. It's Art, and it's Super Powerful. Art, preaches. Art, teaches. Art. It is a Product, and it a Prophet. Art, it changes cultures, civilizations, and impacts the world as we know it.
History is something that an Artist should be aware of, also Worldview. There are way to many people who claim to be Artists, and who create Art, and even sell it, or become famous off of it. But they do not even know what their art is saying. They only know that they have been gifted in some special way.
So after going over some History and such...here's a personal question:
What does your Art say?
And also; What is your idea of beauty?
Art in the creative sense, of style and expression has two sides. The dark, mainly hopeless, doubtful, and often times violent portrayed side,
and; The light, hopeful, faith filled, and pure side. And We will cover more of the difference in expression, and different views on beauty in the next blog post, but for now, I will close with this:
Art...is lasting testament, and has the power to influence more than you imagine. Nothing influences like Art does, and nothing carries messages with it, like artistic expression does. So consider your worldview. Consider history. How do you want your art to impact others? And how does 'God' want it to impact others? Because sometimes those aren't exactly the same.
Art is not something that we can cling to in the personal way that many assume...In a great sense, art is not our own, because even if the canvas is in our possession, even if the art is portrayed on our own bodies,( in whatever form), it 'impacts' only by the was it affects others. Movies, songs, paintings, sketches, all art...it belongs to the eyes of the onlooker, it belongs to the ears of the listener ...
We need to take responsibility for our Art. We need to realize that art is a living testament to more than we may have previously believed. We need to wake up in a world of crazy art, and realize that art is not something to take so lightly.
I pray you recognize the true depth and influence of Art.
I hope to continue this blog post in the next topics about * Beauty in Art and * Paganism in Art. Until then, Remember that God is 'your' Creator. And that He sees every heart, and knows every thought. Consider the Art of managing your own heart tonight. Let the Light of God shine upon you, and may your life and art be a 'real testement' to the Awesomeness of God, and not the awesomeness of yourself.
Go Hard (For God). Don't Waste (Your Life). Keep Real.(And True, to Christ).
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