Stephen Brewster posted this on his "Friday Night Likes" (which you've gotta catch every week) and I couldn't stop looking at it. It's from a mixed media artist named Gabriel Dawe.
It's fine art, but think of it as a runway show for fashion that needs to be dummed down before it hits the street. I emailed Gabriel, and he said these had to be made in the space where they were shown... and took about 140 hours to put together.
I think church set designs are suffering from an identity crisis right now. Let's hear it for inspiration.
I found the very inspiring too.
This issue has to be addressed starting at the top. I believe that we have to get out of the mindset of a production every 7 days. The actual production/theatrical world does not work that way. They put major money and time into one show and then spend the next year repeating it. I feel like the model the church is using today does not give time to foster creativity.
Another big statement with this piece is that it does not tie into a theme or a message. It is art that stands on it own as art. Honestly I think continually having to wrap creativity around a message kills artist and creativity. We should be ok with having art/sets that are just there because they are beautiful.
We need to free our artist to create what I call useless beauty. Works of art that simply exist because the artist think they are beautiful.
Posted by: Jasonwidney | December 16, 2010 at 10:04 AM
jason i love the way you think.
Posted by: Ben Arment | December 16, 2010 at 10:23 AM
I love the way you think, too, Jason.
What the church doesn't need is for creatives to think more creatively....we need for the entire church & Her leadership to have a better understanding of the arts & to learn to ask better questions. We all need to ask better questions.
A book I'm reading for the 2nd time (and I hardly read books) is called "The Art of Curating Worship" by Mark Pierson. It addresses all of the underlying issues that blog posts like this stir up inside us.
We know it when we see it, but we don't know how to describe it always or how to "sell it" to those we report to.
It provides a better language for people just like us...i highly recommend reading it.
Posted by: WorshipVJ | December 16, 2010 at 12:08 PM
"We know it when we see it, but we don't know how to describe it" -- love this Stephen
Posted by: Ben Arment | December 16, 2010 at 12:13 PM
I love this. Beautiful. Thanks for sharing.
Maybe you've seen this cathedral in the UK by Bruce Munro. He is an incredible artist: http://www.lightshower.co.uk/album.php
Posted by: Rodneyeason | December 16, 2010 at 12:31 PM
Rodney - LightShower?! You just made my day.
Posted by: WorshipVJ | December 16, 2010 at 12:38 PM
mmmm...yes. In getting to see many different churches, I find that the creative team there is most passionate about these kind of 'sets', and most I can just sense how free they feel in their passion. Pretty cool!
Posted by: VisualWorshiper | December 16, 2010 at 12:48 PM
that's really beautiful, thanks for the link rodney
Posted by: Ben Arment | December 16, 2010 at 12:59 PM