ON MY MIND...
September 13, 2018
A Christian Artist?
When I was putting together my portfolio of works for this website, I had a dilemma. What do I do with all of my religious art works from my time at Judson Studios? I had been advised by some of my artist friends: “you can’t show these works of Jesus” “Even though they are beautifully made, all people see when they see this work is Jesus. “ “You’ll be pegged as a Christian Artist.” Pegged. That’s never good. So I thought long and hard about it. I had been working at Judson Studios for 14 years. Not only did I fall in love with glass as a visual art medium through stained and fused glass, but I also credit this time to my Christian awakening.
I had spent so much time with the scriptures during my research for narrative imagery, that Jesus’ Gospel of forgiveness was able to explode into my life. The culmination of my time at Judson was a fused glass project that essentially was a massive illustration of the entire Christian story, with a 30 ft Resurrected Christ in the middle. Was I really going to put this work aside so that I wouldn’t be “pegged?” Take a look through my site to see what I decided.
We live in a world where critically admired Christian artwork is virtually non existent. Unless there’s some subversive religious overtone, or a commentary on religion, you just don’t see it in mainstream art. It’s ironic considering that many of the works that most figurative artists studied and obsessed on during art school were straightforward Christian pieces. DaVinci’s Madonna and Child, Rembrandt’s Supper at Emmaus, Velazquez’ Crucifixion. The list goes on and on. But not any more. Now to make Christian themed artwork in our politically charged culture means to risk being labelled old fashioned, rigid thinking, and sometimes hate filled and bigoted. Not what you want if you’re trying to gain traction in the art world.
To me, however, being a Christian is being hyper aware. Aware of my mortality, aware of my weakness and aware of my desire to love and be loved. Most importantly being aware of my standing, on equal ground, with every one who has ever lived, in the eyes of God. Not because I’m a great person or a great artist, but because Jesus was great, and God the ultimate artist, creating us in His image, giving us this beautiful world, and delivering His forgiveness through the death of His Son.
So there it is. I’m a Christian Artist. I’m also a Christian Father, a Christian fisherman, and a Christian Yahtzee player. The Christian in me doesn’t slide into a separate compartment when I’m living my life, making decisions both simple and complex, or making my art for that matter. It’s who I am, much more so than being an Artist. If I lose my arms in a tragic golf accident tomorrow, and can no longer make art, I’m still a Christian. But as long as I still have my arms, my faith will always play a part in my artwork. Not to say that the subject matter of my work will always be related to my Christianity. But sometimes it will. And maybe that will be held against me in the art world. It’s definitely a risk that I’ve thought and worried about. But I think we live in a time where artists can transcend these labels. Once upon a time if you were a musician, you were a rock star, country star, rapper…etc… If you were a painter, you had to have a consistent “body of work” in a predictable style. But now? All bets are off. We as artists through the internet have a unique way of controlling our own messages and presenting ourselves in a comprehensive, intentional way so as to allow our audience to see more than just our work on a gallery wall. What we think, what we like, who we love, and what we believe are now all on display.
I don’t want to be “defined” as a Christian artist, considering all the baggage that comes with that term. But I don’t want to deny or hide my faith either. And so as I move forward with my new studio, I am open. I will do work that I believe to be worthy and beautiful, that honors the medium of glass, and that is free of any self imposed restrictions that my artistic and societal fears might place on me.
