To be an artist of faith...

Photo by Danielle Peterson

Brother Andre Love still has many tattoos,
which he has not removed at the request
of the Mount Angel Abbey Abbot.

While touring the Mount Angel Abbey with guide Brother Andre Love, a Catholic monk, I began to question what it means to be an artist of faith. Love’s story paints a rich and dynamic canvas of this concept: with occupations ranging from military service, to tattoo artist, and now monk. In our discussion Love spoke about how he was prepared to give up art when he entered the Abbey. After all, he had begun tattooing out of necessity and realized he no longer belonged in that world. He joked about how he “talked more people out of getting tattoos then into them.” Love said that he could see when the chosen tattoo wasn’t a true expression of the person receiving it, and he would refuse the client. He was tired of being a brand; concerned with money and ego. Trapped in addiction and divorced three times, Love knew something needed to change. 

I had no clue what love was. I had no clue how to love or how to let people love me and that’s why I was miserable.

Several years of searching later, Love found Mount Angel Abbey. He was in search of truth, and if it meant giving up his art, Love was prepared. Imagine his surprise when the Abbot instructed him to work as an icon painter and curator. Now Love paints in 20 minute increments between his other responsibilities at the Abbey. He works only by commission, and is currently painting a Byzantine icon of St. Stephen. Love has studied iconography since arriving at the Abbey, and embraces the ancient method of using stylized figures combined with symbolic colors and posturing. For Love, using this style emphasizes that this art isn’t about him.

...there’s an element of anonymity. It’s not about the artist. 

Photo by Danielle Peterson

Love's studio at Mount Angel Abbey.

While reading Keller’s chapter on Why We Need Artists in It Was Good: Making Art for the Glory of God, I was reminded of our visit to Mount Angel Abbey. Keller discusses how he believes that the church needs artists because without art it is impossible to reach the world. This argument is based off of the idea that imagination “gets you,” in contradiction to reason. Keller goes on to compare art to music, stating,

You are committed to believing nothing means anything and yet the music comes in and takes you over with your imagination. When you listen to great music, you can’t believe life is meaningless. Your heart knows what your mind is denying. We need Christian artists because we are never going to reach the world without great Christian art to go with great Christian talk.

Hitler's Madonna and Child obviously does not make
him an artist of faith. Being an artist of faith
can not be defined by painting religious scenes. 

So then, does this mean Christian artists need to drop everything and become monks? Can our only subject matter be the Madonna and Child? On the contrary, painting iconography like Brother Love is only one course of action. What we can learn from Love and Keller is the spirit with which to create art. In commentary on prayer at the Abbey, Love states that “we’re not just praying for ourselves. We’re praying for the world. This prayer is constantly going on.” Anyone can paint a religious scene, but only someone who is truly in communion with God while creating can illicit a sense of meaning from a viewer. 

To me, it is important to remember that this can take any form. Being a Christian artist isn’t about painting religious scenes. Rather, it may be the more nuanced and seemingly “non-Christian” art which causes a viewer to think. I may not paint a portrait of the prodigal son or actively pray while I create, but instead quietly meditate within myself. A soft, quiet sense of knowing is all I need to understand that God is present and active in my art. The simple physical act of creating is my form of worship, and I believe this comes through in my work. To me, this is what it means to be an artist of faith. 

Golden Sea by Makoto Fujimura. 

Fujimura uses abstract art to express his faith.

Sources

It Was Good: Making Art to the Glory of God by Bustard

Rastrellie, Tom. "Tatto Artist Turned Monk: Not Your Typical Art Story." Statesmen Journal, 17 November 2014.

Fujimurainstitute.com