Mediocrity is not a disease
Posted by Brian | Labels: Art, Worship | Posted On Sunday, January 31, 2010 at 8:39 PM
I recently read an interview with author Anne Rice. Anne, known for her Vampire Chronicles series that have been immensely successful in both print and film, came to reaffirm her life to Christ in 2002. Since then, she has spoken a number of times regarding the trend of mediocrity that plagues Christian art. Read this excerpt.
My advice to anyone working with Christian material is, of course, Make it as good as you can make it. Being a Christian is no excuse for making mediocre or sentimental art. We don’t need another mediocre book on any subject. Mel Gibson’s audience revealed that people wanted high production values in a Christian film as well as immense faith and devotion reflected in the film.We Catholics are blessed with a long vibrant artistic tradition. Some of our Protestant brothers and sisters are still influenced by a Puritan background that causes them to be suspicious of all art. I think we Catholics can offer a new approach, and some risk taking in novels and films.Excellence has to be the standard. The greatest paintings we have of Christ are indeed great paintings. The greatest music- by Bach, Vivaldi, others- is indeed great music. We novelists must strive to write great novels. It’s insulting to Christians to offer them sentimental, shallow art and think they ought to go for it because it’s Christian. And I do think that is happening in some areas. We can’t let that happen. We need to offer Our Lord all that we can offer Him, and our art should be the very best we can do.~Anne Rice.
After hearing this, I began thinking about the balance between an individual praising God and the professionalism mentioned above. See, we all have a technical level of excellence in our artwork. Some artists may pour their entire heart and soul into their work, and yet it may not measure up to what the norm considers “good.” Good referring to the professionalism and quality of the work. My question then becomes: when and where is it appropriate to use art as worship, a release of one’s soul, or a work to sell? In other words, when should we be a bit more professional about our work? I believe that it largely boils down to the venue and audience before you. There is a time and a place for everything under heaven. If an individual has poured out their heart and soul into an art piece, yet lacks in some technical skill, then there are appropriate times and events to share what the Lord has done. On that note, just because a therapeutic healing takes place through the expression of art, it does not guarantee it a place in the history of Christian art, or a spot in the Guggenheim for that matter.
At this point, I suspect that there could be a number of self conscious artists reading this, and freaking out. It is unrealistic to think that everyone is a Pollock, a Da Vinci, or a Bosch. If someone finds peace, finds worship, and connects with God through the use of a paint brush, then it is essential that person paints. If someone ushers in the Spirit through playing a Saxophone, then play until you have no breath left.
Colossians 3:23-24 states:
At this point, I suspect that there could be a number of self conscious artists reading this, and freaking out. It is unrealistic to think that everyone is a Pollock, a Da Vinci, or a Bosch. If someone finds peace, finds worship, and connects with God through the use of a paint brush, then it is essential that person paints. If someone ushers in the Spirit through playing a Saxophone, then play until you have no breath left.
Colossians 3:23-24 states:
Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.
Hear that? If you do something, then do it with every fiber of your soul. Make yourself vulnerable, put yourself out there, and praise the Almighty until you feel like there is nothing left. It will be in that moment of vulnerability that you will enter into a partnership with Christ, and the real worship will begin. When the dust has settled, you may be surprised with what you see laying before you. I encourage you to connect to other artists and share. I encourage you to critique each other’s works both on a spiritual as well as a technical level of feedback. It is in these meetings that mediocrity might be addressed. Know that mediocrity is not a dirty word – it should be an incentive to push one’s self further. It should be received as a challenge to always grow. There isn’t an artist in all of history who ever lived without having learned some kind of new technique or a new way to improve their work in the process of becoming a master artist. So, enter into a partnership with Christ. Work to improve, to push further, and to never stop growing. Mediocrity is not a disease or a handicap, it is a declaration that an individual can do better.
What do you think about determining the difference between art as worship, or a work to sell?
Sometimes, especially in a worship service, it will be the beginning of a piece of art; one that began life as worship. That doesn't mean it's complete there. Better lighting & tools await outside the service.
Whatever I have the skill to do, worship is a good place to begin.
You are absolutely right Barb, often times during a designated worship service, a piece may experience it's beginning. However, the goal for all Christians is that they do everything as Worship no matter what the setting, or state of mind. Worship is not confined to the times where one feels that emotional, free flowing state of mind that can come during conferences or music services. Worship is, however, us bringing all we do before God, no matter what the setting, state of mind task at hand. So worship is not just a good place to begin, worship is what we must continue to do throughout the whole process.
I suppose I did not word my end question effectively. What I was meaning to ask was, does art that is created with a heart of worship inherently give it a quality that should grant it access to a Christian gallery? Or is there a line where a gallery should respect the heart behind the piece, but turn it down and uphold a technical skill based standard in the art they display?