Abstract Art is NOT EVIL !

So, I'm doing my studies into religious art today, and many of these articles that I'm reading have writers who think that abstract art is evil or a degradation of creativity. I would like to pose a parable of Jesus rephrased in artistic terms.

The realist, the cubist, the symbolist, and the many other christian artists are standing around argueing who is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven.

Jesus looks at the finger painting children and pulls them to his side and says "See to it that you do not despise one of these little ones, because the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to such as these".

Y'all (yeah we say y'all in Texas)....YALL better watch your pride, because there very well might be a giant refrigerator in heaven with lots of finger painted abstracts on it, just like my refrigerator at home! I'm not gonna tell the kids their art is EVIL! What the heck is wrong with you people! What are you trying to do! Crush the little bud coming up through the soil before it has time to unflower?

Now I will be posting my children's abstract art soon. It's 'sacred art' TO ME! We sat and talked about God while they painted it, and about how God splashed around color in the heavens out in space. Don't you dare tell my children their art is evil or you are gonna be dealin' with mother bear!

Some folks can get so religious, that the religion replaces the Savoir and there is no charity left. Charity out of a pure heart is all God requires, and a little finger painting kid is capable of it!

Now throw your idols in the dust, and imagine this scene!

There is A GIANT TOWERING HUGE refrigerator in heaven with finger painted abstracts on it, and cute little handprints and footprints! Chew on that for a while! (Yes sweetie, your art is beautiful! Wow, what a great job!) or (get that finger painting out of my kitchen, it's evil) Which is the right approach for a Father or Mother to have towards their childrens creative efforts???????



Play is re-creation. the enormous range of depth of such recreation is often overlooked. Many see playing as a superficial or trivial act. I see it as a life-giving act. It
makes us young when we are old and matures us when we are young. ( Jerome Berrym)

“Notice the playfulness of nature: gurgling streams,
dancing light, humming birds, fluttering leaves, twinkling
stars. All creation wants to play with you.”
(Michael Joseph , Alive Now, 2007)

Tips from the Sisters, Servants of the Imacculate Heart of Mary on reconnecting with your childlike sense of play:

*Take some time and engage in your
favorite form of play.

* How does playing make your life more
abundant?

* List your favorite forms of entertainment.

* How does your “style of play” as an adult
differ from how you played as a child?

* How might you recapture the former
sense of play?

* What aspects of the Creator are mirrored in
your creativity?

* In what ways do you find yourself
unable to let go of your busy schedule
and just have fun?

* In what ways do your leisure activities help
you experience the world?

* In what unique ways have they helped you
experience God?



And here is an exherpt from Imagine - A Vision for Christians in the Arts, by Steve Turner

In my set of cirlces the outer ring is made up of art that doesn't suggest an obvious worldview, particularly if it's experienced out of the context of the rest of the artist's work. It could be someone playing bassoon in a school orchestra or dancing in a chorus line. It could be a nonsense song written for children, a portrait painting of a neighbor or a sculpture made out of an interesting piece of wood.

Of course, we may be able to detect a different slant; we may think that we can hear the accent of Jesus, but it is not overt. In the case of nonesense songs, we may point out that nonsense writing, by its very nature, reinforces logic, sense and order, but usually this sort of work is carried out in the spirit of play with no thought of any higher meaning.

This sort of art is justified by the things God himself made. Presumably marine ecology would be a simple science if all fish had been made in one color, and one design, but God, as I have already pointed out, likes to EXPERIMENT, embellish and impress. The different shapes and shades of leaves, the textures and smells of wood- all point to a God who loves design for its own sake. They are unsigned pieces of handiwork that give us insight into his character but tell us no more than that. They were made in a spirit of SHEER DELIGHT, and the fact that we do things in the same spirit should not surprise us. God could, of course, have left written messages all over creation, but he didn't.

Here is a favorite scene from a movie from my childhood. Here is a classical ballet dancer learning how to loosen up, go with the flow, and have fun!



And YO YO YO, Check it out! Check it out! Here is Pope JPII joining in with some hand jivin' If he can loosen up, you can too!



And I'm posting this just for the heck of it! I'm sick of the focus on who is the most talented artists! I think I'm gonna vote for these guys!



OTAY! Now, I hope you still don't believe abstract art is eeeevillll. If you still do, maybe you need to go back to Art 101 in Preschool, and start again!



Ahhhh! Peanut Butter Sandwiches! That's much better! Now that hit the spot!



Good day! Toodle doo!