Legitimate art?
Hi! I’m Jas, and here’s just a brief intro so you know where my bias stands. I’m a self-employed artist, and have been for a year and a half now. I’ve been asked to write about loyalty and art (what else), and I’ve been struggling with problems of loyalty to God through my work. So … I’m gonna throw out some thoughts on whether artistry is a legitimate Christian calling. I don’t have all the answers, so bear with me!
When choosing any career you are seeking what God’s will is for your life. That is a heavy responsibility, and often times there’s not a black and white answer! All sorts of questions are raised when you are choosing the direction, for example: “What are the God-given talents I have been gifted with?” and “Is this type of job God-honouring?” Being an artist, I’ve really struggled with these questions.
I think one of the biggest problems is that an artist has a sporadic income (at least until he gets a solid reputation). This is a negative in the minds of many Christians. A dedicated Christian man should be getting a solid job that will provide a steady income for a wife and family. But what’s the difference between a student going to uni or polytech for three years to get a qualification and an artist working three years to get a reputation? At the end of that time they both receive the business.
However, I could say that while the artist is making money on the side, he has to be extremely self-controlled (something I find hard) in order to treat his work as a job instead of a hobby. The uni student has it all laid out for him, and all he has to do is dig in his heels and get stuck into the work. Easy! But it takes a real man to be an artist! It takes a man to sit in a bathroom (my studio) for seven hours a day, in a rather hermetical situation.. But that raises another question …
How is being a hermit acceptable when I could be out in the work force as an “effective witness”, interacting with people, helping, leading and being a role model? Any ideas?
I’ve been told that my art is the witness, but how does this work when most modern art buyers are after an emotion or feeling – isn’t that loyalty to self? As Christians, we tend to stand out, because we have something other than feelings to base our lives on. I have no problem with an artist presenting his interpretation of what he sees – that is called for, in fact – but I really appreciate striving to capture the amazing beauty that God has designed around us. Being God’s people we are chiefly to “glorify God and enjoy him forever”.
The glorify part of that statement sort of sticks out. How can self-promotion serve God? In the art world people are buying a reputation, a label. The artist has to say “Hey! Look at me! Check out my exceptional quality.” Where is God in that equation? Yet how does that differ from a business working to establish a quality reputation? The business also has to promote itself in order to be appealing to the market. This effects how you live, and that’s where talent, skill and work ethic come in. Every job must maintain a standard and, as Christians, our standards are found in God’s word.
But how do you bring God’s word through in your work? People are going to interpret art based on their own feelings and experiences. Often what they see and what the artist puts in are totally different. Once again, we have to remove loyalty to self and place God first. This doesn’t necessarily mean we have to paint like Leonardo da Vinci, rather it means having our work dedicated to God. A great example of this is J. S. Bach, who wrote soli deo gloria (“glory to God alone”) at the end of all his compositions. God has gifted you with unique talents that are a delight as well as a duty. To whom much is given, much is expected. As in the Parable of the Talents, we have to develop what God has given us, and at the end, He will say (from Matthew 25:23):
“Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!”
You’re most welcome to send any thoughts or suggestions to me at alphalfinator. Cheers!
