An Installation Proposal

One of the things that frustrates me so deeply about some things that people call "Christian art," is that it's no more than a cool-looking marketing design (that happens to be made by a Christian). I want more. I want to create art that evokes a visceral response, that makes us all rethink an aspect of our world. I want to make art that brings people together, both inside and outside of the church.

This week I've decided to share my own installation proposal. I'm at a stage where looking high and low for conceptual Christian art is not enough. I need to dream up my own, and in this case, share what I've been dreaming up for a while.

The diagram of the installation is below... and below that I explain it step by step. Do you best to imagine walking through the installation yourself.

THE SITES: Placed Simultaneously in Various Areas of San Diego

1. Barrio Logan- in Chicano Park

2. Rancho Santa Fe- inside a church

3. Downtown San Diego- inside MOCA

4. UCSD- outside 2^nd story of Geisel Library

5. Fashion Valley- in the mall parking lot

LAYOUT & MATERIALS

The installation will take place in long, rectangular room or portable trailer space. There is an entrance and exit space at either side. The inner cooridor consists of 3 8x8’ glass cubes. Cube A is clear glass with a 4’ door. On the floor inside Cube A, these words are printed in official text: “Exit from this cube will not be granted until you say something you have never told anyone before.” Cube B is made of thick, matte glass that one cannot see through. There is no door. Cube C is clear glass with a 4’ door raised 2’ off the ground. The inside of the cube is filled with 8” of water. The entry wall and exit wall are mirrors. The wall facing the exit wall is asphalt with hundreds of nail pegs sticking out of it in rows.

THE EXPERIENCE

As the participants walk in they are asked by an attendant to remover their shoes and socks before entering the inner cooridor. They pass through a narrow room with mirrored walls and enter the exhibit. Once inside, participants can choose to traverse the space around the cubes or to enter a cube.

CUBE A: An attendant stands at the door, only allowing one individual to enter at a time. Inside Cube A, the participant must say something they have never told anyone before. There are small microphones in the corners of the cube. The participant’s secrets are broadcast live to Cube C at another one of the 5 installations. There is no way for the participant to know if anyone else hears them or where their voice is being transmitted to.

CUBE B: Candle-like light glows from within the cube but participants cannot see inside. Indistinguishable sound effects play from inside the cube.

CUBE C: An attendant stands at the door, only opening the door for entry every 5 minutes. Participants crowd into the small, glass space, ankle-deep in luke-warm water. They wait to hear the secrets of individuals from another undisclosed installation. The door is to remain shut for 5 minutes to cause the glass to fog.

EXIT: As participants exit they find their shoes hanging from nails on an asphalt wall.

So, can you see it? How do you think this would function as an installation in San Diego? For Christians? Or people of all faiths? I dream of the day that I'm ready to materialize these ideas.

Some Happenings in Christian Artist Movements

So yes, there is a considerable divide between the avant-garde and church art, but it is inspiring to see Christian communities making place for the arts. My own experience has reinforced the belief that Christian artists are not rare but rather the spaces for those artists to build community and share their work. So for all of you that have been searching like me,  I want to share 3 opportunities for art-sharing.

In Film

Hillsong Church in Sydney has a congregation of about 20,000 people and provides opportunities for people all around the world to share their art. They host the annual “Exchange Film Festival,” which encourages submissions of works with Christian themes. Not only do they make room for arts in the local church but they’re using their expansive influence to include the worldwide body of Christ. The submission window for the 2011 film and arts festival is still open until February. I plan to enter a piece or two.

Performance & Installation

Eric Samuel Timm’s organization, No One Underground, has a mission I’m excited about: “We work to mobilize the arts within the church & the church within the world.” Eric travels to various churches, concerts and conferences performing live painting installations. The videos of his performances that I’ve watched online are all definitely directed at a Christian audience. Though they may not function as well in avant-garde venues they certainly stay right on target with the mission to mobilize the church.

Community & Learning

This year I learned about CIVA (Christians in the Visual Arts) from a friend. In perusing their website I learned about an upcoming conference they are hosting at Biola University: Matter and Spirit: Art and Belief in a Digital Age. A few of the sessions that stood out to me were Art and Design, Art and the Church and Art Education. The conference will be June 16-19, 2011.

Now that I’m learning more about existing opportunities for art in the church, I’m anxious to delve into the debate of subject matter and targeted audience. Check back next week to grapple with those issues!

In Search of Christian Artists

Artwork by Jim LePage

 In one of his first blogs of the new year controversial Christian author Donald Miller tackled the question: “Is Church Life Stifling Your Creativity?” He hypothesizes the uproar that might occur if Solomon wrote his biblical text, “Song of Songs” in a modern church context, supposing that people would be outraged by the erotic nature of the poetry. In the end, the bottom line was that Miller encouraged his readers to do what God tells them to do and not what the church tells them to do.

Miller’s advice is not bad. In fact it’s downright biblical, but it begs the question, what if God’s telling you to use your creativity to make art in the church? All of the creativity drowning influences that often come with large organizations must be overcome to accomplish the call of God. You can’t shrug them off as an unfortunate circumstance. (I’m incredibly blessed to be in a church that inspires creativity.)

As the Media Director for a large church I’ve studied the leadership structures of many multi-thousand-member churches in America. In doing so I’ve discovered that contemporary art as we know it in these structures may very well simultaneously hit on religious, political and cultural stigmas. Art says things that people are afraid to speak; it’s often subversive in nature. But what does today’s great Christian art look like? I believe I am yet to discover it.  I have discovered professional quality video ministries and sharp design, but have not yet witnessed a thriving community of artists in the local church.

So I’m kicking off this blog with a thirst to discover just that. Have you seen art embraced in a church? I’d love to hear about it here.