The act of making art exposes a society to itself. Art brings things to light. It illuminates us. It sheds light on our lingering darkness. It casts a beam into the heart of our own darkness and says, "See?" - Julia Cameron, The Artist's Way
Excellent couple of posts. As you know, I was one of those people struggling with the need for a little more of the traditional service elements during Convergence’s services and it will be interesting to see how you and Todd incorporate the traditional service elements with art, creativity, the contemporary, and perhaps a little bit of the liturgical?
Relating to this post, the quote from the Artists Way put an image in my head of many of my nights in Pittsburgh. I would often take nightly walks on Forbes Ave. from Oakland to Squirrel Hill on Friday nights. On my way to Squirrel Hill there would be several art galleries up past Carnegie Mellon that would host exhibitions. I would stop and look in, and study the art and the people. I loved this hodgepodge of artists, punks, and Goths. Made me yearn for my high school years (yes my Catholic school was a hodgepodge. Goths and jocks, but there was never any fighting between the groups. Surprisingly, my high school had a NYU feel.) Anyway, this post just reminded me of those dark winter nights that I would walk up to Squirrel Hill and see the art and be moved by the art. Some of the art shook my ideologies and my reality. Moved me to realize that the mainstream society really began to have a hold on my thinking. The group of people in this gallery rebelled to a point against society, perhaps its norms, but they shed THE LIGHT on what the mainstream wasn’t seeing. Art has been a struggle since my time in Pittsburgh, actually since Bush re-took office in 2004. This war and this current administration has sucked the art, life, and color out of our society. Black and white and business suits. Where are the dreamers? Where did the dreaming go?
To make this comment, which has turned slightly into a post, art instills in me the message of this quote from James and the Giant Peach, “[Try] looking at things a different way.” Art definitely does that to me, especially political art. Shine the light!
3 comments:
Hi Lisa,
Excellent couple of posts. As you know, I was one of those people struggling with the need for a little more of the traditional service elements during Convergence’s services and it will be interesting to see how you and Todd incorporate the traditional service elements with art, creativity, the contemporary, and perhaps a little bit of the liturgical?
Relating to this post, the quote from the Artists Way put an image in my head of many of my nights in Pittsburgh. I would often take nightly walks on Forbes Ave. from Oakland to Squirrel Hill on Friday nights. On my way to Squirrel Hill there would be several art galleries up past Carnegie Mellon that would host exhibitions. I would stop and look in, and study the art and the people. I loved this hodgepodge of artists, punks, and Goths. Made me yearn for my high school years (yes my Catholic school was a hodgepodge. Goths and jocks, but there was never any fighting between the groups. Surprisingly, my high school had a NYU feel.) Anyway, this post just reminded me of those dark winter nights that I would walk up to Squirrel Hill and see the art and be moved by the art. Some of the art shook my ideologies and my reality. Moved me to realize that the mainstream society really began to have a hold on my thinking. The group of people in this gallery rebelled to a point against society, perhaps its norms, but they shed THE LIGHT on what the mainstream wasn’t seeing. Art has been a struggle since my time in Pittsburgh, actually since Bush re-took office in 2004. This war and this current administration has sucked the art, life, and color out of our society. Black and white and business suits. Where are the dreamers? Where did the dreaming go?
To make this comment, which has turned slightly into a post, art instills in me the message of this quote from James and the Giant Peach, “[Try] looking at things a different way.” Art definitely does that to me, especially political art. Shine the light!
Good stuff Lisa
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