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| Sunday, October 01, 2006
Making Sense of The Mind by Steve Turner , paraphrased and quoted extensively Writer : Dawn FungDawn Fung recounts the analysis of Steve Turner's chapter, The Mind, within his book Imagine - A Vision of Christians and the Arts. Turner states a concentric circle model of work that Christian artists engage in. Is this realistic? I was very encouraged by the book, Imagine, A Vision For Christians And The Arts by Steve Turner (Inter-Varsity Press 2001) which ought to be in the libraries of all creative arts ministries in Singapore. It belongs to my friend Donna Ong, and it has been the most satisfying loan to date. Its thin package contained a series of essays that confirmed what I had been feeling about "Christian arts". Firstly, it is a valid domain of academia for all of us who are Christians in the arts. This comes from the viewpoint that our faith should be examined against all that we do. Arts in Christianity is the dialectic that explores the reasons behind our choice of profession, biblically. This domain becomes a healthy platform to voice our concerns in applying our faith in the arts and to examine such practices as a community. Secondly, it is a timely welcome for the scene in Singapore. Christian art discourses are a byproduct of thoughtful responses on issues of art in Christianity, its applications, and awareness of the three party reflexes between the artist, audience and the Holy Spirit. Although the kind of debate raised within Imagine focuses on Eurocentric examples and lacks discussion specific to Asia, and thereby Singapore, we gain from engaging in what should be the most common denominator - as followers of Jesus working in the arts. Judging from Singapore's dearth of Christian art academics, time and care should be invested to nurture more mature thinkers within creative art ministries seeking to 'redeem the arts'. The Mind is a chapter from the book that centres about a system of understanding of the work of the Christian artist. Its concentric circle diagram is exposited from the belief of the transformed Christian (artist's) mind, starting with the line, "Christians develop a view of the world that all of creation points to God (Blamires)". The diagram is a non-exhaustive guide to the approaches of work that Christian artists are involved in. There will always be problems trying to segregate and contextualise the work within (burgeoning) mediums, while simply trying to condense the gamut of our activities is unrealistic. In this respect the disclaimer is true, in that the application of the model varies greatly between the responsibilities and scope of the artists. Take for example, a writer of a screenplay versus the actor who has no say in it - how should each person approach their artmaking in terms of living out their faith? If we think of the diagram in terms of spectrum rather than an inflexible graph of levels, we can see how our work might involve some or all of the below representations. Below, Figure 3.1 The Mind Map depicts five concentric circles and therefore five arenas of work that involves the Christian artist, from which we enter from the outermost one.  Figure 3.1 The Mind Map (Writer's Visual Interpretation from Steve Turner, 2000) (1) Recreation The first circle (1) represents a spectrum of art that is created in the 'spirit of play'. Turner says that this work does not present an obvious worldview because the driving motivation is conducted with little regard to a higher form of meaning. This kind of art delights us in the way that might not answer a functional call but is as indulgent as the world of marine life might be to God - he creates life in its lush variety of textures and colours, such that each item is a wonderment in itself. The whole scope of its meaning may be lost to man but not man's participation in its aesthetic pleasure. Examples that Turner suggests in (1) range from teaching children nonsense poetry to playing in a school band to painting a neighbour's portrait. (2) Quality of Life The second circle (2) presents art as an invigorating catalyst to awake our senses to life. This is "an expression of our Christian faith... [that] dignifies human life and introduces a sense of awe", in the same way that a dancer jolts some audience members to rethink how their body comes alive. The work that a Christian artist makes relates to a divine unction that God set in the beginning - that man is made in the image of God. The notable point of this circle seems to be the conviction of the artist not to create art based on attraction to disrespect and mockery of life, simply because all of us stand dignified before God. Turner points to Louis Vauxcelle's observation between the Catholic painter Georges Rouault and Toulouse Lautrec's paintings of prostitutes, "Unlike Lautrec, when Roualt paints a prostitute there is no cruel pleasure in seeing vice exalted by a creation. He suffers and weeps." Personally I find (2) and (1) strongly overlap with the belief that Turner's example of divinely created marine life also has its impact in this arena. Turner is sensible to add that (1) - (4) is both the domain and subjects of Christians and non-Christians, except that the redeemed mind of the Christian artist should influence the motivations of the artmaking choices and processes. (3) Social Values The third circle (3) "contains those things that carry an imprint of clear Bible teaching but which we know are not uniquely Christian". We make art for peace, equality, justice and human rights - all of these are biblical but not exclusive to believers, just as Jesus' Beatitudes may be an inspiration to most of society. However, social concerns raised in art does not result in homogenised applications. For example, while the world may consider vengeance in some cases as inevitable relief, Christians turn to God to vindicate their sufferings in His time and His ways. Thus, even the treatment of moral values between the Christian and non-Christian artists clash in the process of presentation. I quote at length from Turner : Admission of personal sin has to be treated carefully because we live in a climate of exposure. Artists are routinely commended for being "daring", "honest", "frank" and "disturbing" by admitting to base desires...The Christian is bound by important considerations. There is a responsibility not to use examples of our vileness as entertainment... I sometimes hear Christians justify mentioning their weaknesses in their art because "I'm a sinner like everyone else". That is just not true. The Christian isn't a sinner like everyone else because a Christian is a forgiven sinner, and this alters his or her whole relationship to sin. The treatment of sin in art by the Christian artist does not belie liberation but imprisonment, a clear Biblical understanding. (4) Spiritual Experience The fourth circle (4), Turner says, "get closer to the heart of the gospel...there are many contemporary artists that will gladly talk about the reality of "other planes" or the "bankruptcy of materialism". The art is inspired by main theological themes of freewill, original sin and the spiritual realm. He cites both William Golding's "Lord of the Flies" and Anthony Burgess' "A Clockwork Orange" as explorations of the original problem of human decay. This, to me, is the art about the spiritual world that William Blake, Ang Gey Pin, Grotowski and Barba seem to be fascinated with. Experientially, art making that is spiritually sensitised engages the artist and the audience with possibly the closest encounter with the supernatural, mystical or otherwise. (5) The Cross "At the heart of this final circle stands the cross". The fifth circle is posited within the revelation to Christians of the cross as an emotional, historical and situational confrontation of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Turner is adamant that "it is the cross that makes sense of all the other issues to us. If we are Christians, it is surely the most important thing to us." The cross' significance is instrumental - from this point on, all the world, its workings and solution makes sense. I quote again, For the Christian the cross is the event in which everything finds its resolution. We deal with fears, hunger, wars, injustice, alienation and other problems in the short term with consolation, food, diplomacy, campaigns and friendship, but we know that the human condition can only ultimately be healed through the effects of what was achieved on the cross. The last circle (5) is the simplest but most difficult to attain realm of art-making for the Christian artist. Its image offers little comfort for those who seek fresh, creative alternatives in the face of contemporary reinvention that is often subversive, while its real understanding is also exclusive to believers. Yet the point of the cross may even be misinterpreted by Christian artists and non-believing artists who damage its reputation. Turner explains, None of what is meant by the phrase "the offence of the cross". What offends in these cases is the disregard for theology, and the only ones likely to be offended, other than God, are Christians.The true "offence of the cross" is the offence to our pride when we are told that we are sinners in need of salvation and that salvation comes not through our own efforts but through an unattractive first-century execution". I find this to be true, recollecting Indonesian photographer Jerry Aurum's images of a female model dressed in nothing more than a white scarf covering the private parts, posing in the form of the crucified Christ. To the non-believers, the cross is a historical reference that stands at best, an unimportant mystery. When the Christian artist confronts the (image of the) cross in art making, he/she is also making a stand to dismiss the wisdom of the world in which the wilful choice of such a highly sensitive subject may be taken to be a divisive one. The dividing gulf is not the recollective evidence of graphic violence but that this symbol that voices the justice and mercy claims to be the only solution to mankind. It stands then that at the centre of the mind map is an invitation : To the heart of the Christian artist to functionally accept the power of the gospel that may be the most difficult to attain in art.
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