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Does The Portrayal of Faith in Art Inevitability Become Heretical?
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In many cultures religious art is of key importance and high value to the participants of the faith because its a material extension of their faith. For a Christian such as myself i uphold religious artwork as an integral part of my faith and important way of glorifying and beautifying faith. I take an interest in the portrayal of faith in art throughout history since time period and region has a great effect on the artwork, for example the art of the medieval period was dominated by Christian artworks by the likes of Michelangelo's Sistine chapel paintings (1512). The highlight of the piece being "The creation of Adam" displaying man as 'imago dei' or 'made in Gods image'.
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In many cultures religious art is of key importance and high value to the participants of the faith because it’s a material extension of their faith. For a Christian such as myself i uphold religious artwork as an integral part of my faith and an important way of glorifying and beautifying faith. I take an interest in the portrayal of faith in art throughout history since time period and region has a great effect on the artwork, for example the art of the medieval period was dominated by Christian artworks by the likes of Michelangelo's Sistine chapel paintings (1512). The highlight of the piece being "The creation of Adam" displaying man as 'imago dei' or 'made in Gods image'.
Religion is an integral part of human identity that dictates our lives based on our personal beliefs. Art is another key part of human identity in which we wish to express. Naturally we as humans take these components and attempt to entwine them in our own personal means of expression. This leads to the question of if in our unique human perception of faith in art have we portrayed religion in the very manner it preservers against. In our peculiar means of expression envisioned through art have we portrayed religion in a heretical manner that disgraces faith rather than beautifies it as artwork?
My aims are to discover how faith and religion in art have been effected as the two have intertwined, how has faith in art become a negative portrayal of beliefs, and how have artists avoided or embraced becoming heretical in order to express themselves. Madeleine L'Engle teaches that "There can be no categories such as 'religious' art and 'secular' art, because all true art is incarnation, and therefore 'religious'. This belief justifies all art including heretical art as positive which relates to the personal views of many artists who wish to express themselves without being criticised on if they are portraying faith and religion correctly. Can the Christian teaching of 'imago dei' or 'made in Gods image' justify heretical art since everything is created in Gods image? Is the idea that we should stick to guidelines based on our concept of heresy or should we be able to express art freely?
Religious art has dominated the majority of history as it is highly valued by the followers of the religion. Religions and by extension religious artworks have always been well-funded meaning various religions have orchestrated the creation of some of the most awe-inspiring works of art in which believers and non-believers alike can share in its magnificence. These great pieces span the entire world ranging from the gargantuan bronze Buddha’s found in Asia to the great cathedrals of Europe. Religious artwork takes many forms these being paintings, statues, architecture, etc. One religion that has cemented its place in the history of art more than others especially in the western world is Christianity which will be the faith I am going to be focusing on to draw my conclusion.
Religion is an integral part of human identity that dictates our lives based on our personal beliefs. Art is another key part of human identity in which we wish to express. Naturally we as humans take these components and attempt to entwine them in our own personal means of expression. This leads to the question of if in our unique human perception of faith in art have we portrayed religion in the very manner it preservers against. In our peculiar means of expression envisioned through art have we portrayed religion in a heretical manner that disgraces faith rather than beautifies it as artwork?
My aims are to discover how faith and religion in art have been effected as the two have intertwined, how has faith in art become a negative portrayal of beliefs, and how have artists avoided or embraced becoming heretical in order to express themselves. Madeleine L'Engle teaches that "There can be no categories such as 'religious' art and 'secular' art, because all true art is incarnation, and therefore 'religious'. This belief justifies all art including heretical art as positive which relates to the personal views of many artists who wish to express themselves without being criticised on if they are portraying faith and religion correctly. Can the Christian teaching of 'imago dei' or 'made in Gods image' justify heretical art since everything is created in Gods image? Is the idea that we should stick to guidelines based on our concept of heresy or should we be able to express art freely?
Religious art has dominated the majority of history as it is highly valued by the followers of the religion. Religions and by extension religious artworks have always been well-funded meaning various religions have orchestrated the creation of some of the most awe-inspiring works of art in which believers and non-believers alike can share in its magnificence. These great pieces span the entire world ranging from the gargantuan bronze Buddha’s found in Asia to the great cathedrals of Europe. Religious artwork takes many forms these being paintings, statues, architecture, etc. One religion that has cemented its place in the history of art more than others especially in the western world is Christianity which will be the faith I am going to be focusing on to draw my conclusion.
A brief history of Christian art
The art world was almost solely comprised of Christian artworks from the Byzantine period up until the renaissance although the earliest known examples of Christian art are from around the 2nd century. These early examples of Christian artwork assimilate the style of the ancient Greeks, Romans and later Goth’s. After the fall of the Roman Empire the medieval period emerged. This was known as the dark ages due to the lack of Christianity at the time. However Christian art was on the rise by the middle of the period combining close to 1000 years of art history to create some of the most influential art in all history. The renaissance bore fruit to a new age of Christian art which involved ultra-detailed, superb pieces mainly illustrating biblical scenes. After the renaissance traditional Christian religious art began its slow decline as humanity entered the age of enlightenment and themes such as Neoclassicism, Romanticism, Realism, and Modernism became the norm in the art world.
So, now to pose the important question of whether in all those years of Christian art history has the portrayal of faith become heretical. This question is broad, philosophical and based on personal viewpoint. So how does one determine if a religious artwork is heretical? Naturally starting with its creators and their relics can help unravel this enigma. Often referred to as one of the most fantastical as well as influential artist in not only Christian art but the entire art story is Hieronymus Bosch. Hieronymus Bosch has been at the centre of attention in the art world due to his paintings displaying mass psychosis, monstrous creatures and Christianity. His abhorrent creations baffle people when they hear that his painting are biblically inspired, the idea that Bosch was a Christian artist was absurd especially when you compare his work to artists such as Michelangelo. It was as if Bosch had been touched by the devil.
So, now to pose the important question of whether in all those years of Christian art history has the portrayal of faith become heretical. This question is broad, philosophical and based on personal viewpoint. So how does one determine if a religious artwork is heretical? Naturally starting with its creators and their relics can help unravel this enigma. Often referred to as one of the most fantastical as well as influential artist in not only Christian art but the entire art story is Hieronymus Bosch. Hieronymus Bosch has been at the centre of attention in the art world due to his paintings displaying mass psychosis, monstrous creatures and Christianity. His abhorrent creations baffle people when they hear that his painting are biblically inspired, the idea that Bosch was a Christian artist was absurd especially when you compare his work to artists such as Michelangelo. It was as if Bosch had been touched by the devil.
Hieronymus Bosch, Touched By The Devil
“Man does not make his ideas; we could say that man’s ideas make him” Carl Jung
From the teachings of Jung we can distil clear ideas to help understand the motive behind creating such abstract creations as found in the nightmare world of Bosch’s imagination. What are the ideas that governed Hieronymus Bosch’s mind? To grasp the answer to this question we must delve into the life of Bosch to see what may have cradled the thoughts that ended up fuelling the inspiration for his many works of art. Hieronymus Bosch born in 1450 grew up in the town of Hertogenbosch located in the Netherlands. When Bosch was young he witnessed a catastrophic fire that rampaged its way across the town. (Could this have been a potential inspiration for his depictions of fiery hellscapes?) The sewer ran through the town which caused a horrendous smell. This has been referenced by Bosch in what he illustrated in his art. During the medieval period, bread would succumb to a fungus known as ‘ergot’ that when consumed has the ability to cause various effects like nausea, hallucinations, etc. A theory states that this may have been a substance Bosch used to imagine his abominations. Lastly the main reason for Bosch depicting Christian beliefs was because the town of Hertogenbosch was incredibly Christian even to this day with around 40% of residents being Christian. The life of Hieronymus Bosch provided his mind with nourishment enabling him to develop the ideas he would paint in his many great artworks. To put in in the worlds of master painter Michelangelo “A man paints with his brains and not with his hands”. However it was not until after Borsch’s death that his artworks would come under scrutiny as curious eyes marvelled in his creations. One in particular stood out amongst the other paintings, a triptych with folding doors known as ‘The Garden of Earthly Delights’.
From the teachings of Jung we can distil clear ideas to help understand the motive behind creating such abstract creations as found in the nightmare world of Bosch’s imagination. What are the ideas that governed Hieronymus Bosch’s mind? To grasp the answer to this question we must delve into the life of Bosch to see what may have cradled the thoughts that ended up fuelling the inspiration for his many works of art. Hieronymus Bosch born in 1450 grew up in the town of Hertogenbosch located in the Netherlands. When Bosch was young he witnessed a catastrophic fire that rampaged its way across the town. (Could this have been a potential inspiration for his depictions of fiery hellscapes?) The sewer ran through the town which caused a horrendous smell. This has been referenced by Bosch in what he illustrated in his art. During the medieval period, bread would succumb to a fungus known as ‘ergot’ that when consumed has the ability to cause various effects like nausea, hallucinations, etc. A theory states that this may have been a substance Bosch used to imagine his abominations. Lastly the main reason for Bosch depicting Christian beliefs was because the town of Hertogenbosch was incredibly Christian even to this day with around 40% of residents being Christian. The life of Hieronymus Bosch provided his mind with nourishment enabling him to develop the ideas he would paint in his many great artworks. To put in in the worlds of master painter Michelangelo “A man paints with his brains and not with his hands”. However it was not until after Borsch’s death that his artworks would come under scrutiny as curious eyes marvelled in his creations. One in particular stood out amongst the other paintings, a triptych with folding doors known as ‘The Garden of Earthly Delights’.
The Garden of Earthly Delights
“There is a curiosity, a freedom of thought, an appetite for discovery in this painting that still makes us see ourselves in it” The Guardian (2017)
‘Bosch’s master piece ’The Garden of Earthly Delights’
This stupendous relic alone contains the key that will help to continue unravelling the question of whether the portrayal of faith in art has become heretical. I will now analyse the garden of earthly delights to highlight the ideas created from the astounding imagery. The 3 paintings form a triptych, each panel represents a different idea from the bible. The left panel depicts the Garden of Eden with God, Adam and Eve as well as fantastical animals present. The central panel shows earth densely populated with people, animals and structures. The final panel displays hell full of humans being tortured by demons and their own sins. When closed it is an art piece of its own portraying an image of a globe which symbolises the world during its creation (likely the 3rd day) as stated in the Bible, this also references the theme of the triptych once all 3 panels are opened. God is also present on the closed panel his hand raised indicating he is speaking. He recites the verse written which says "for he spoke and it was done, for he commanded and it stood fast". This links to a phrase spoken after that saying "the lord looketh from heaven and sees all mankind" referring to how as you open the triptych you see Gods perspective.
Each panel represents Christian ideas of the Garden of Eden, the earth and hell. These 3 panels complement each other since earth is central in-between Eden and hell, one could argue that the panels have been arranged so they are in order following the Christian idea of heaven and Eden as elevated above earth where as hell is considered to downward. Bosch has used the triptych to his advantage by using the technique grisaille to make the outer panels look dull and uninteresting only for a sudden explosion of colour to capture the eye as the triptych is opened glorifying the beauty of creation. This can be interpreted as a world devoid of life since the world hadn't been created fully, it reflects on the darkness of space before the earth was made into a beautiful paradise as portrayed in the centre panel. Composition makes up the piece in a variety of ways; the idea of composition within the chaotic nature of the artwork is confusing to first onlookers. A clear idea of a centre point is established by an egg to which all compositional lines match up too, the pool also acts as a centre point for the people and animals since they revolve around it. The egg and pool symbolise new life or rebirth, these concepts are similar to resurrection and redemption in the bible. Most medieval artists like Bosch did this to personify the idea if hell as a place of eternal suffering and damnation as no such thing is written in the Bible.
Darkness engulfs the centre ground and background of the right panel hiding the area that surrounds the evil creatures found in hell. Dark colours have been used so that when your eye reaches the background you see the clear contrast of the blazing hellfire from the dark manmade structures surrounding it. This suggests humanity is evil and the predominant reason for the people being in hell. Artists like Bosch did this to personify the idea of hell as a place of eternal suffering and damnation as no such thing is written in the Bible. Colourful objects separate themselves from the surroundings and are numerous in hell signifying man’s expansion away from the natural perfect state of Eden and towards a manmade hell as portrayed by Bosch.
Treading carefully Bosch was able to cast his personal views into his work. These ideas can be observed in each panel. Starting with God, Adam and Eve; Adam sits at the right hand of the father know in Christianity as the honoured position, meanwhile Eve has just been created from Adams rib. Eve facial expression (looking down) conveys that she feels shame; this is because she will betrayed God. This theme continues as she is found in hell staring at herself in the mirror. A toad also known as the henchmen of the devil is placed upon her chest referencing how Eve was manipulated by Satan. This is a bold statement from Bosch considering God has unconditional love for even sinners, almost all Christians would never believe in a conspiracy such as this. A pig in a nun’s veil is forcing a man to sign a document; this connotes the view that the church asking for indulgences was greedy. An honest critique however risky the symbolism was. Greed has also been portrayed by a glutton vomiting and a man defecating coins. On earth and in hell the idea of humanity being overly materialistic can be found on earth and in hell. People grasp at fruits and are given fruit by animals representing the teaching of temptation. Almost all of humanity is tempted by sin, this links to the portrayal of hell as overpopulated suggesting most fall to temptation. In hell the only items found there are manmade, this illustrates how humanity is the reason they are in hell and only by your actions as a person can you land in hell. Bosch warns people to not play with the will and teaching of God, a hand balancing a dice reflects this view as man gambles with potential sin. Treading the borderline of acceptability, Bosch depicts naked people and many phallic objects. This sexualisation of the piece opposes Christianity because it runs parallel with the story of creation in which Adam and Eve are naked representing them feeling no shame and connoting the original sin.
This stupendous relic alone contains the key that will help to continue unravelling the question of whether the portrayal of faith in art has become heretical. I will now analyse the garden of earthly delights to highlight the ideas created from the astounding imagery. The 3 paintings form a triptych, each panel represents a different idea from the bible. The left panel depicts the Garden of Eden with God, Adam and Eve as well as fantastical animals present. The central panel shows earth densely populated with people, animals and structures. The final panel displays hell full of humans being tortured by demons and their own sins. When closed it is an art piece of its own portraying an image of a globe which symbolises the world during its creation (likely the 3rd day) as stated in the Bible, this also references the theme of the triptych once all 3 panels are opened. God is also present on the closed panel his hand raised indicating he is speaking. He recites the verse written which says "for he spoke and it was done, for he commanded and it stood fast". This links to a phrase spoken after that saying "the lord looketh from heaven and sees all mankind" referring to how as you open the triptych you see Gods perspective.
Each panel represents Christian ideas of the Garden of Eden, the earth and hell. These 3 panels complement each other since earth is central in-between Eden and hell, one could argue that the panels have been arranged so they are in order following the Christian idea of heaven and Eden as elevated above earth where as hell is considered to downward. Bosch has used the triptych to his advantage by using the technique grisaille to make the outer panels look dull and uninteresting only for a sudden explosion of colour to capture the eye as the triptych is opened glorifying the beauty of creation. This can be interpreted as a world devoid of life since the world hadn't been created fully, it reflects on the darkness of space before the earth was made into a beautiful paradise as portrayed in the centre panel. Composition makes up the piece in a variety of ways; the idea of composition within the chaotic nature of the artwork is confusing to first onlookers. A clear idea of a centre point is established by an egg to which all compositional lines match up too, the pool also acts as a centre point for the people and animals since they revolve around it. The egg and pool symbolise new life or rebirth, these concepts are similar to resurrection and redemption in the bible. Most medieval artists like Bosch did this to personify the idea if hell as a place of eternal suffering and damnation as no such thing is written in the Bible.
Darkness engulfs the centre ground and background of the right panel hiding the area that surrounds the evil creatures found in hell. Dark colours have been used so that when your eye reaches the background you see the clear contrast of the blazing hellfire from the dark manmade structures surrounding it. This suggests humanity is evil and the predominant reason for the people being in hell. Artists like Bosch did this to personify the idea of hell as a place of eternal suffering and damnation as no such thing is written in the Bible. Colourful objects separate themselves from the surroundings and are numerous in hell signifying man’s expansion away from the natural perfect state of Eden and towards a manmade hell as portrayed by Bosch.
Treading carefully Bosch was able to cast his personal views into his work. These ideas can be observed in each panel. Starting with God, Adam and Eve; Adam sits at the right hand of the father know in Christianity as the honoured position, meanwhile Eve has just been created from Adams rib. Eve facial expression (looking down) conveys that she feels shame; this is because she will betrayed God. This theme continues as she is found in hell staring at herself in the mirror. A toad also known as the henchmen of the devil is placed upon her chest referencing how Eve was manipulated by Satan. This is a bold statement from Bosch considering God has unconditional love for even sinners, almost all Christians would never believe in a conspiracy such as this. A pig in a nun’s veil is forcing a man to sign a document; this connotes the view that the church asking for indulgences was greedy. An honest critique however risky the symbolism was. Greed has also been portrayed by a glutton vomiting and a man defecating coins. On earth and in hell the idea of humanity being overly materialistic can be found on earth and in hell. People grasp at fruits and are given fruit by animals representing the teaching of temptation. Almost all of humanity is tempted by sin, this links to the portrayal of hell as overpopulated suggesting most fall to temptation. In hell the only items found there are manmade, this illustrates how humanity is the reason they are in hell and only by your actions as a person can you land in hell. Bosch warns people to not play with the will and teaching of God, a hand balancing a dice reflects this view as man gambles with potential sin. Treading the borderline of acceptability, Bosch depicts naked people and many phallic objects. This sexualisation of the piece opposes Christianity because it runs parallel with the story of creation in which Adam and Eve are naked representing them feeling no shame and connoting the original sin.
Iconography
Iconography has always been at the centre of the argument for the portrayal of religious figures in art. Some religions such as Islam forbid the dipiction of religious figure in art and drawings. Other faiths such as Chrisitianity and Buddism mainly revolve around having their respective idols illustated in art. One factor to take into consideration is if idols are allowed to be portrayed in art then what stops them from being desecrated. One example of this desacration of idols would be Andres Serrano ‘Piss Christ’ in which a crucifix is submerged in the artists urine. To most (including religious and non religious people) this is extreme and many would call this a heretical act that does not glorify faith in anyway leading it too be percieved to be an act agaist faith despite what the artists motives may have been. Bosch portrays important Christian icons, he even asserts his own views of Eve being in hell. However this is percived as a slight poke at belifs and in no way is a negative use of iconography. Another element to iconography is in its portrayal as Chrisitanity is very tolerant when it comes to this. An example is influencial painter Francis Bacon, who in his art portrayed the pope and cruxifiction in his other worldly hellish style. This was linked to his relation with the church as a homosexual and represented his suffering, hate and love for the establishment. Here we see an example of how portrayal of iconography is linked to personal emotion and how Bacons style represented his identity rather than a heretical portrayal of religious figures and scenes.
Interpreting Religious Art
Over the many hundreds of years the garden of earthly delights has been around it has been deciphered by all manners of groups based on their beliefs. In the 1960s the early psychedelic movement viewed his work as a drug trip filed with hallucinations where everyone is grabbing for the forbidden fruits( partaking in drug use). The giant strawberries are like free narcotics at a music festival. Another source from the 60s reveals that the piece was a commission for the prince of Nassau meaning that ‘The Garden of Earthly Delights’ was in fact a piece to please the establishment. Commissioned art has produced some of the best Christian art pieces. This is interesting since true art of faith is more personal than one big biblical reference like ‘the creation of Adam’. Take the works of Michal Macku for example in which a deep exploration of expressionism is present. This is far-fetched from the constant referencing found in commissioned art. The personal expression of faith in art has a certain captivating appeal over the popular grand commissions. One could even argue that if art isn’t an act of faith doesn’t it really count as true religious art or just art made in the style of religion?
To conclude, I believe that the mass psychosis that is the garden of earthly delights is not in fact a heretical vision of freedom nor is it a mockery of the church. What Bosch managed to convey in his masterpiece was pure hard-core Christianity. Despite all the clusters of chaotic scenes, people, animals and other fantastical features, just below the surface you find countless Biblical references as well as Christian teachings. This is Bosch’s bread and butter, a traditional Christian artwork masked in a sea of hallucination like imagery portraying a world in which humanity is at the centre ruled by sin straying further from God. Bosch was critical of the church, portrayed humanity in its worst light and confused the minds of people for hundreds of years however by no means was he heretical. In the best case he made his art to in fact please the establishment since the piece was commissioned for the prince of Nassau.
To conclude, I believe that the mass psychosis that is the garden of earthly delights is not in fact a heretical vision of freedom nor is it a mockery of the church. What Bosch managed to convey in his masterpiece was pure hard-core Christianity. Despite all the clusters of chaotic scenes, people, animals and other fantastical features, just below the surface you find countless Biblical references as well as Christian teachings. This is Bosch’s bread and butter, a traditional Christian artwork masked in a sea of hallucination like imagery portraying a world in which humanity is at the centre ruled by sin straying further from God. Bosch was critical of the church, portrayed humanity in its worst light and confused the minds of people for hundreds of years however by no means was he heretical. In the best case he made his art to in fact please the establishment since the piece was commissioned for the prince of Nassau.
Avoiding heresy through exploration of other mediums
One way that artists can avoid being debated over if their art is considered heretical to a faith or the individual is via the exploration of similar mediums by the likes of spirituality, expressionism or the sublime. Many of the artist who emerged after the medieval period followed these various movements in order to portray a kind of faith free of criticism that everyone admired. Legendary English painters by the likes of JMW Turner and Wassily Kandinsky explored these very concepts. The art movement romanticism took the reins from traditional Christian art and instead what was birthed was a deep admiration for nature and its power, or in other words a love for ‘creation’. The change from displaying Christian beliefs visually to the glorification of emotion or faith transcends rules as well as various concepts like heresy. In Kandinsky’s art he portrays a connection to the spiritual via the medium of synesthesia. This is a unique expression of elements of the conscience and faith.
Conclusion
In conclusion there is no distinct line between what is considered heretical or not. Religious art and especially Christian art has evolved via country of origin, time periods, events and the artists themselves. Naturally an exploration into the unknown would incur leading to more questionable art. However most of the art that has come under scrutiny (such as Bosch) eventually gets realised by its critiques as an undeniable piece of religious art. Where art treads into heretical grounds is when people push the boundaries leading to desecrations of faith rather than glorification as seen in ‘Piss Christ’.
Bibliography
-Faith and Heresy definition Oxford dictionary
- Madeleine L'Engle quotes https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/43349-basically-there-can-be-no-categories-such-as-religious-art
-Michelangelo quote https://www.thedesignsketchbook.com/a-man-paints-with-his-brains-not-with-his-hands-michelangelo-2/#.Ym8IfYfMKUk
-Guardian quote https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/jonathanjonesblog/2017/jan/10/bosch-garden-of-earthly-delights-shows-a-world-waking-up-to-the-future
- Piss Christ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piss_Christ
-Carl Jung, Freud and Psychoanalysis book
-Information about Bosch https://archief.ntr.nl/tuinderlusten/en.html
https://brewminate.com/the-complexity-of-hieronymous-boschs-garden-of-earthly-delights/
Below and at the top of the essay is a downloadable original word version of the essay
-Faith and Heresy definition Oxford dictionary
- Madeleine L'Engle quotes https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/43349-basically-there-can-be-no-categories-such-as-religious-art
-Michelangelo quote https://www.thedesignsketchbook.com/a-man-paints-with-his-brains-not-with-his-hands-michelangelo-2/#.Ym8IfYfMKUk
-Guardian quote https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/jonathanjonesblog/2017/jan/10/bosch-garden-of-earthly-delights-shows-a-world-waking-up-to-the-future
- Piss Christ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piss_Christ
-Carl Jung, Freud and Psychoanalysis book
-Information about Bosch https://archief.ntr.nl/tuinderlusten/en.html
https://brewminate.com/the-complexity-of-hieronymous-boschs-garden-of-earthly-delights/
Below and at the top of the essay is a downloadable original word version of the essay
does_the_portrayal_of_faith_in_art_inevitability_become_heretical.docx | |
File Size: | 1140 kb |
File Type: | docx |
close up
Catholic
historic
surrealism
grotesque
photorealism
nature
landscape
still life
sculpture
industrial
modelling
line
chaos
illusion
colour
form
romanticism
digital construction
expressionism
Catholic
I have selected the word catholic since its fascinating as well as a key theme within arts history.
-Francis Bacon grew up catholic and has created many artworks with religious themes or people.
-Michal Macku is an artist who is best described by the word expressionism. One way in which he expresses himself is by recreating biblical scenes.
-Andrew S Gray creates religious themed art since he uses churches in most of his abstract edits.
Binary opposition
catholic/Heretic
chaos/order
colour/monochrome
surrealism/realism
chosen binary opposition: catholic/heretic
Across the broad theme of art and by extension photography many artists link their work to faith for different reasons. Some artist use it as a means of expression since powerful scenes like the crucifixion are easily recognised, others may be followers of a faith who want to create religious ideas, scenes and teachings via the medium of art. I want to explore the world of religious artwork to pose the question of if in the attempt to express faith as art they have instead created something heretical.
Teachings, humanity including human understanding of god in art, is artistic expression more important than keeping religious ideas intact. *iconoclasm, *iconography, *avoiding Heresy via spiritual. *has artists/human ideas skewed our perception of religious ideas( intro of hell as fire medieval period). *Can negative religious art be good.
Iconography
I have made the decision to focus on the sub-section 'Iconography' which is key to my study due to the extremely important link and importance to Christianity. The theme of 'iconography' is a pure expression of faith in which the symbols of a religion live on eternally. We create other expressions of faith such as grand cathedrals, however as time marches on these demonstrations of faith will crumble and fall into disrepair. This is why iconography is the so powerful since its recognized by almost everyone and can never die or be destroyed. This is what I want to convey in my installation.
In my exploration of iconography I decided to create a duality between the concept of 'iconography' and physical constructions of faith. I chose to build a 2m cross out of multiple thick sticks of bamboo, these would then be bound by green cord. Then I cut up white plastic bags to give then a shredded look as if they were pieces of cloth draped from the cross. Finally I used a projector to beam a picture of the destroyed section of Canterbury cathedral on to the draped plastic sheets. The bamboo has been used to construct the cross since bamboo is a strong rigid material representing the strength found in religious iconography such as the cross. Bamboo is a material originating in Asia, I have chosen it to display the fact that Christian iconography has spread to all corners of the Earth. The torn plastic bags symbolise the cloth torn from Jesus moments before his crucifixion, this has been done to represent how various pieces of faith can be torn away such as abandoning of churches and lack of religious texts. This theme is continued by the projected image of a destroyed section of Canterbury cathedral portraying how many physical representations of faith can become dilapidated.
EDIT 1: This edit has been constructed to portray the narrative behind the iconography, the main theme of this piece is suffering. Firstly I have used colour to my advantage in order to convey the idea of narrative and suffering. 2 crimson patches have been created where the hands of Jesus would have been placed as he carried the cross to Calvary. The red also represents the blood of Christ and the water turned to wine. The cloth has been distorted in a wavy pattern and the colour of the piece turned blue, this has been done in order to contrast with the stained red handprints. The blue represents water, this being a key theme in Christianity since water purifies sin as seen in baptism. This water hints to the crucifixion where Jesus will sacrifice himself to cleans humanity of sin. The shot has been taken from a low perspective in order to position the viewer as Jesus about to suffer for all humanity. This piece portrays the suffering and narrative behind the iconography.
EDIT 2: This edit illustrates the theme of light and the beauty found in the iconography. The colour and brightness are vivid and radiate out embracing the viewer with a warm glow. The light represents the light of God, this conveys the idea that despite physical examples of faith crumbling God will always be their and the iconography will also live as an image of him. The destroyed cathedral is highlighted in this edit to show the viewer that personal faith as well as iconography is all a follower of Christianity needs. The cross in this image positions the viewer head-on. I have done this in order to portray the iconography as equal. The idea of the iconography as being equal to the viewer represents how no one person can build or maintain a demonstration of faith such as a cathedral or even preserve the literature. However the iconography is something anyone can remember and depict since its that powerful of a concept. For the average man or women iconography is symbolic of their faith and will always be an eternal part of faith that hasn't been distorted wherever it has travelled.
EDIT 3: This edit has been given a vintage worn look with faded out colour. The cross is canted at an angle towards the top left corner, this gives it a visually decadent appearance as if it was left against a wall forgotten. The lack of colour in the image suggests the idea that if the grand physical expressions of faith such as cathedrals, paintings and sculptures are left to ruin or to be destroyed then the iconography of the faith is weakened and without purpose. What's the point of having a symbol like the cross if there is no cathedral walls to have it adorned on? What's the point if the iconography is not portrayed in grand art pieces such as 'Christ the redeemer'? This edit is meant to beg the question of whether you must have multiple aspects of faith displayed in order to support and construct the religion as a whole. One would argue that for a faith to be complete it must have a place of worship, grand art to glorify it, powerful iconography and literature. Isolating anyone of these aspects significantly weakens the religion as a whole. Maybe iconography isn't as powerful as we think no matter how recognisable or influential it is.
In my exploration of iconography I decided to create a duality between the concept of 'iconography' and physical constructions of faith. I chose to build a 2m cross out of multiple thick sticks of bamboo, these would then be bound by green cord. Then I cut up white plastic bags to give then a shredded look as if they were pieces of cloth draped from the cross. Finally I used a projector to beam a picture of the destroyed section of Canterbury cathedral on to the draped plastic sheets. The bamboo has been used to construct the cross since bamboo is a strong rigid material representing the strength found in religious iconography such as the cross. Bamboo is a material originating in Asia, I have chosen it to display the fact that Christian iconography has spread to all corners of the Earth. The torn plastic bags symbolise the cloth torn from Jesus moments before his crucifixion, this has been done to represent how various pieces of faith can be torn away such as abandoning of churches and lack of religious texts. This theme is continued by the projected image of a destroyed section of Canterbury cathedral portraying how many physical representations of faith can become dilapidated.
EDIT 1: This edit has been constructed to portray the narrative behind the iconography, the main theme of this piece is suffering. Firstly I have used colour to my advantage in order to convey the idea of narrative and suffering. 2 crimson patches have been created where the hands of Jesus would have been placed as he carried the cross to Calvary. The red also represents the blood of Christ and the water turned to wine. The cloth has been distorted in a wavy pattern and the colour of the piece turned blue, this has been done in order to contrast with the stained red handprints. The blue represents water, this being a key theme in Christianity since water purifies sin as seen in baptism. This water hints to the crucifixion where Jesus will sacrifice himself to cleans humanity of sin. The shot has been taken from a low perspective in order to position the viewer as Jesus about to suffer for all humanity. This piece portrays the suffering and narrative behind the iconography.
EDIT 2: This edit illustrates the theme of light and the beauty found in the iconography. The colour and brightness are vivid and radiate out embracing the viewer with a warm glow. The light represents the light of God, this conveys the idea that despite physical examples of faith crumbling God will always be their and the iconography will also live as an image of him. The destroyed cathedral is highlighted in this edit to show the viewer that personal faith as well as iconography is all a follower of Christianity needs. The cross in this image positions the viewer head-on. I have done this in order to portray the iconography as equal. The idea of the iconography as being equal to the viewer represents how no one person can build or maintain a demonstration of faith such as a cathedral or even preserve the literature. However the iconography is something anyone can remember and depict since its that powerful of a concept. For the average man or women iconography is symbolic of their faith and will always be an eternal part of faith that hasn't been distorted wherever it has travelled.
EDIT 3: This edit has been given a vintage worn look with faded out colour. The cross is canted at an angle towards the top left corner, this gives it a visually decadent appearance as if it was left against a wall forgotten. The lack of colour in the image suggests the idea that if the grand physical expressions of faith such as cathedrals, paintings and sculptures are left to ruin or to be destroyed then the iconography of the faith is weakened and without purpose. What's the point of having a symbol like the cross if there is no cathedral walls to have it adorned on? What's the point if the iconography is not portrayed in grand art pieces such as 'Christ the redeemer'? This edit is meant to beg the question of whether you must have multiple aspects of faith displayed in order to support and construct the religion as a whole. One would argue that for a faith to be complete it must have a place of worship, grand art to glorify it, powerful iconography and literature. Isolating anyone of these aspects significantly weakens the religion as a whole. Maybe iconography isn't as powerful as we think no matter how recognisable or influential it is.
Edits
Spirituality
-https://firstmonday.org/ojs/index.php/fm/article/view/496/417
-Reference book do android dream of electric sheep/ false sense of spirituality
-modern spirituality through the medium of tech
-technological progression represents modern faith/spirituality
-people derive pleasure from experiencing and using tech
-show a feeling of ecstasy from connection with tech
-cables connected to head/red light, positive bright light from below,
-spiritual connection via internet
-" For spiritualists, there are two ways of approaching knowledge, one which will lead to holiness or wholeness, the other to a false, arrogant, and destructive mastery over nature."
-collective humanity
-tech makes people more conscience
-Jacob espstein rock drill. Writing in 1940, Epstein described this sculpture as ‘a machine-like robot, visored, menacing’. He originally set a plaster figure on top of a real industrial rock drill as a symbol of the machine age. Epstein’s attitude to machines changed as the mechanised warfare of the First World War caused vast numbers of casualties. After it was first exhibited in 1915, he removed the drill and cut the figure down at the waist. The left hand and right arm were taken off. It was then cast in bronze. The once-threatening figure appears vulnerable, more a victim than a perpetrator of violence.
-Michal landy
-laszlo maholy nagy
-Reference book do android dream of electric sheep/ false sense of spirituality
-modern spirituality through the medium of tech
-technological progression represents modern faith/spirituality
-people derive pleasure from experiencing and using tech
-show a feeling of ecstasy from connection with tech
-cables connected to head/red light, positive bright light from below,
-spiritual connection via internet
-" For spiritualists, there are two ways of approaching knowledge, one which will lead to holiness or wholeness, the other to a false, arrogant, and destructive mastery over nature."
-collective humanity
-tech makes people more conscience
-Jacob espstein rock drill. Writing in 1940, Epstein described this sculpture as ‘a machine-like robot, visored, menacing’. He originally set a plaster figure on top of a real industrial rock drill as a symbol of the machine age. Epstein’s attitude to machines changed as the mechanised warfare of the First World War caused vast numbers of casualties. After it was first exhibited in 1915, he removed the drill and cut the figure down at the waist. The left hand and right arm were taken off. It was then cast in bronze. The once-threatening figure appears vulnerable, more a victim than a perpetrator of violence.
-Michal landy
-laszlo maholy nagy
The concept of spirituality can be manipulated to fit many moulds. For some it represents the connection to a large religion such as Christianity, Judaism and Islam. Others believe its a synaptic connection to nature and the Earth in which they draw power. However other means of spirituality exist. I am going to explore the relationship between technology and humanity. I will investigate how peoples spirituality is placed in technology via mediums like the internet, computers and phones. In the book 'Do androids dream of electric sheep' humanity intertwines with technology which causes them to experience a sense of spirituality leading to the formation of the religion mercerism. The main inspiration for this piece will be Jacob Epstein's 'rock drill' in which a menacing humanoid cyborg is integrated into a colossal vertical drill. The sculpture represents the machine age and how man and machine are becoming intertwined. He later cut up the figure and cast it in bronze, this now wounded figure removed from technology invokes feeling of vulnerability and victimhood.
In this installation my focus will be on constructing a sculpture. The concept for the sculpture will be spirituality found via the means of technology, it will represent how modern peoples spirituality is forged from their connection with machines; for example the internet, technological advancement and eventual merging flesh with technology. The sculpture will traverse the ideas behind if this merging of man and machine is positive, negative or indescribable. The sculpture will be a cyborg with the body being human, a duality will be created from the biological parts and the additional machinery. The body will symbolise the purity of biology. Whilst the merged machine will act as a symbol of the corruption created when spirituality is formed from putting a belief in technology.