About a year ago I taught a painting class at a high school in Louisville’s South End. One of my most dedicated students was a shy 18-year-old girl. She has since taken to sending me email updates from her freshman dorm room, soul searching about art and life, and confessing to putting a great deal of weight in my opinions.
Recently she asked me about my religious beliefs. When I replied that I don’t have any, her disappointment was palpable. In a heartfelt letter, she described how fortunate she feels to be deeply Christian and to have the ability to see where her creativity comes from – her “perfect master.” She then asked me: “Do you think someone would be less of an artist if they worshipped a single God?”
I can only answer this by saying that the contemporary art I admire most has an attitude that chooses irreverence over obedience, sees nothing as an absolute, and questions everything. Those qualities, at least for me, don’t always jive with being faithfully devoted to a single dogma. But it struck me as important that she shouldn’t only listen to me on this matter. That’s the thing about great contemporary art: It’s not interested in being locked into any kind of box.
In the spirit of this month’s Festival of Faiths, Louisville’s annual ode to religious diversity, I asked a few other practicing artists from Louisville and beyond to weigh in on my student’s question.
Shelley Vaughn Hulsey
Multimedia Artist, Louisville
“Absolutely not! I believe that one’s creative mind, innate abilities, and commitment to being an artist is what makes one an artist. Whether you choose to share with your audience that you do or do not believe in God is up to you. Either way, it is totally respectable. The very fact that you are asking this question implies that you worry what others will think of you. Don’t. Being an artist takes a very strong will and one who is able to confront life’s queries head on – whether it is wrestling with one’s own demons or trying to digest those of society and translate them into compelling works of art for the viewer. Clearly you are a strong person who is willing to stand up for who you are and what you believe in. And I think that is honorable.”
“The true artist helps the world by revealing mystic truths.” – Bruce Nauman
Kate Bae
Painter and Korean English as a Second Language Teacher, New York City
“I have somewhat similar discussions with my students. Many Korean students attend church and are always in conflict with religion and spirituality. And they confuse those two as the same. I tell my students that the concept of God is a type of belief system to make you understand what you do not understand (the unknown). The concept works for some people, and does not for some other people, but it has nothing to do with being an artist. Make no mistake: Understanding God is not possible, no matter how devout you are. I think us humans are born essentially to create – not just art, but just about anything. The label of ‘artist’ has to do with how you are identifying yourself with a specific type of making. Perception seems to define who we are, how we think and behave. Art challenges and expands the perception we are normally used to.
“If you choose Christianity as your guide and that works for you, that’s great. If you want to push it outside, that’s also great. After all, the process of searching is what actually matters. So to your question of if a person would be less of an artist if he or she believed in God, the answer is no, you would not.”
Todd Smith
Sculptor and Performance Artist, Louisville
“In the pluralistic art world, where anyone is an artist and everything can be art, the question – ‘Do you think I would be less of an artist if I believed in God?’ – is unimportant. The artist should work and then let go. Ask, ‘Do I think I am less of an artist if I believe in God?’ Come to peace with yourself and forget everyone else. The real question is: How can I make work that I care about?
“I climbed a tree every day for over three years. It was a physical discipline that acted as inspiration for ideas. Many people viewed this daily practice as something religious, like daily prayer. One in particular argued with me when I said it wasn’t spiritual for me. I am an atheist. And this person told me that I actually believed in God and I just wouldn’t acknowledge it.
“I bring this up only to point out that people believe what they believe and will try to tell you what your work is about and what it says about you. You can get pulled in and argue and defend yourself, but really you should just ignore the chatter. Be strong, be yourself, and explore everything that is your strength and your weakness. The work will speak for itself.”
Mickie Winters
Photographer, Louisville
“It is better to believe than to disbelieve; in so doing you bring everything to the realm of possibility.” – Albert Einstein
“If it does not perpetuate survival in basic terms, why do we make art? Is it because we ourselves were created, thus we can only follow suit? We were made, so we make?
“We take delight in making art, perhaps because we tap into that place inside us that is undefined. And it connects the physical with the spiritual and this rare union makes us feel more complete. Does believing in God make you less of an artist? If you valued the physical alone – only what you see – you could not attempt to create anything that was not essential to your survival. Nothing that was abstract or transcendent would make sense to explore in thought or in art making. To have the doors open, as opposed to shut, always allows for more opportunity. And this could give a person more to pull from in terms of motivation to create.
“We desire to connect with humans in the beautiful places between the physical and the unknown. We make art to meet them there. That is where I long to go with my own art making. I believe in things that are unseen, and will continue to pursue those things in art making while inviting others to meet me there, where I feel we connect with one another, and God, exploring the beautiful places that simultaneously transcend our physical world while embracing it.
Roberta Petzoldt
Performance Artist, Amsterdam
“Of course authority is something which an artist cannot use. As an apprentice, it is good to swallow the opinions and the thoughts of teachers and admired artists, digest them, and extract the vitamins your art can use. But being an independent artist, I think you have to live in a world that is not dictated by any external rules. So, in the case of religion, this might be limiting to reach the full potential of being the artist that you are.
“But I do not think believing in God is in any way limiting. I know there is a divine consciousness and it is a great ally to have; it would be limiting not to use this. I do believe that purely with intellect we can never understand what this thing also called ‘God’ is. So I would not call it believing, because you know what ‘it’ is you believe in. I would rather call it experiencing – allowing creation to happen inside and outside of yourself. For me, this is the only way that new things can really emerge, first to allow the experience and afterwards to analyze it with your mind. This is also how I make my art. I let it happen, let the drawing or the video tell its story, and then you choose what resonates with your story.”
Michael Winters
Artist and Gallery Director, Louisville
“The history of modern art can be understood as a process of getting God out of the picture. Eventually, in abstract expressionism, there was no picture at all. Now, in the 21st century, representational art is back ‘in,’ but there’s no consensus on what’s worth picturing or why. Artist’s statements are notoriously silly about describing why they do what they do – usually claiming to start a ‘dialogue,’ but a true and beneficial dialogue rarely if ever takes place.
“Christianity provides a compelling ‘why,’ a generous host of reasons for creating. God created the world, making humanity ‘in his image’ as the pinnacle of his creation and giving them the vast task to tend and keep the earth.
“Unfortunately, the cultures generated by churches have only rarely illustrated Christianity’s great foundation for creativity. And though much of art history was bound up with Christianity, I don’t think we’ve yet come to the best of what art can be when generated out of love for Christ and his creation.
“Belief in God makes me a better artist, but it probably makes me less attractive to the art establishment. However, I care a lot more about what God thinks of me than what the art world thinks of me.”
Jennifer Sim
Painter, Frankfurt, Germany
“The notion of God is different in the eye of the beholder, or believer. If your God is a wrathful God who frowns upon honest expression and intellectual curiosity, then sure, that has the potential to hinder your artistic development. Conversely, if your God is a God of love without judgment, it could conceivably have a positive influence. But there are no guarantees, no exact formulas either way. We must consider the whole individual, not simply his/her beliefs, which is only one facet of him/her. The question I would answer is: Does believing in something outside our immediate perception/scientific knowledge automatically limit you somehow? And I would say no.
“I find it perplexing when the same cookie-cutter, NPR-listening, atheist, liberal mold is attributed to all artists. Not that there’s anything wrong with those things. In fact, I think it’s more than possible to believe in God and be all of those things (except atheist). It’s no more correct to say you have to be a white, upper middle class male to be a valid artist. How harmful and limiting it would be to our world experience if we had to fit criteria to make good art. If we’re going to start making rules about it, you might as well call it the Church of Art.
P.S. Consider the significance of works of the past, created by artists who believed in a God or gods.”
Nir Nadler and Chaja Hertog
(Performance by Nadav Nadler)
Artist duo, Amsterdam
Editor’s note: The artists chose to respond by sharing one of their videos.
“Via Dolorosa”
Documentary Film
Duration: 9 minutes
Jerusalem 2006
Synopsis
“According to the Holy Scriptures, Via Dolorosa is the street in Jerusalem where Jesus walked on to his crucifixion. This short film follows the journey of Spanish pilgrims in the old city of Jerusalem, where they encounter a Christ look-alike. Once they overcome the astonishment, they invite this stranger to carry a wooden cross upon his shoulders, while taking pictures of this tribulation, emphasizing how one can become the embodiment of others’ beliefs.”
Winner of the public prize, TENT Academy Awards 2006
Watch the video here: vimeo.com/5885911.
Jessica Langley
Painter and Art Professor, The George Washington University
“I actually think about my lack of belief as a hindrance to my artistic practice, but then I try to remind myself that there are no rules for being an artist. Being an artist means that you communicate something through sensual means, either visually, aurally, or conceptually. Your convictions influence your perspective. A belief in something only influences your perspective. It doesn’t make your perspective less interesting.”
Anonymous
Art Professor, Louisville
“I don’t believe she got to the heart of her question when she asked, ‘Do you think I would be less of an artist if I believed in God?’ She may really be asking, ‘Do you think I would be less of an artist if I made art about God?’ A look at the history of art can answer that question. Our most beloved and inspiring artists (both named and anonymous and across religions) made work about their understanding of or belief in God. For the artist, this is only limited by the restrictions in some religions on representational imagery or the artist’s inability to create an eloquent enough visual statement.”
Oscar Peters
Sculptor and Conceptual Artist, Pittsburgh
“No, I don’t think you would be less of an artist if you’d believe in God. I don’t think believing in God or whatever you believe in should be of any influence on your work. But if your work is limited to expressing your love for God, or if it’s just about you and your religion, then yes, I do believe you’re less of an artist. I guess I could say limiting yourself in your subject matter, or in any way for that matter, obstructs you from being a good artist. I don’t think your beliefs matter, as long as you don’t limit yourself within them and keep an open mind.”
-Julie Leidner
How to buy remedies online at best prices? In fact, it is formidably to find of repute pharmacy. Kamagra is a far-famed curing used to treat impotency. If you’re concerned about sexual disfunction, you probably know about dosage of levitra. What is the most vital information you have to know about levitra doses? More information about the matter available at levitra dose. Perhaps you already know something about the question. Usually, having difficulty getting an erection can be embarrassing. This disease is best solved with vocational help, generally through counseling with a certified physician. Your dispenser can help find the version that is better for your condition. We hope that the info here answers some of your questions, but please contact physician if you want to know more. Professional staff are skilled, and they will not be shocked by anything you tell.