Refractions

I was introduced to the art of Makoto Fujimura more than a decade ago, and while I still can't say I *understand* his art, I absolutely can say I respect the form, the technique, the slow deliberateness of the creative process, and his words about art and faith in Refractions.  This book of his essays, written primarily around the time he and his family were displaced by the 9/11 attacks on New York City, gave me a more intimate look at his approach to art.  

One of the ideas that resonated with me is the Japanese aesthetic concept "mono  no aware" translating roughly to "beauty in the pathos of things" or "a wistful awareness of impermanence". It describes a bittersweet emotion—finding beauty, sadness, and serenity simultaneously in the realization that all things, including life and beauty, are transient.  Fujimura says, "The age old concept of wabi (poverty) and  sabi (rusting away) insists that what is truly beautiful is not the permanence of things but the impermanence." 

This perspective plus his creative process - from paper making, to sourcing and grinding of minerals for the paint, to the application of layer upon layer of these slow drying pigments - inform how he applies his Christ-saturated worldview into his creations.  

Here is a tiny snippet on his Theology of Making that may whet your appetite to learn more: 

Art Imitates...Art?

These elegant live reenactments of Caravaggio masterpieces are nothing short of brilliant:

:00 The Entombment of Christ

:45 Mary Magdalene in Ecstasy

:52 Crucifixion of St. Peter

1:13 The Beheading of John the Baptist

1:20 Judith Beheading Holofernes

1:39 Flagellation of Christ

2:07 The Martyrdom of St. Matthew

2:19 Annunciation

2:30 Rest on the Flight to Egypt

2:55 Narcissus

3:05 The Raising of Lazarus

3:24 St. Francis of Assisi in Ecstasy

3:40 Bacchus

Ascension Sunday

Ascension by John Donne

Salute the last and everlasting day, Joy at th' uprising of this Sun, and Son, Ye whose true tears, or tribulation Have purely wash'd, or burnt your drossy clay. Behold, the Highest, parting hence away, Lightens the dark clouds, which He treads upon ; Nor doth He by ascending show alone, But first He, and He first enters the way. O strong Ram, which hast batter'd heaven for me ! Mild Lamb, which with Thy Blood hast mark'd the path ! Bright Torch, which shinest, that I the way may see ! O, with Thy own Blood quench Thy own just wrath ; And if Thy Holy Spirit my Muse did raise, Deign at my hands this crown of prayer and praise.

Christ: The Light of the World

I thought that this day of Epiphany - the day we celebrate the coming of the light of Christ to the Gentiles - would be a suitable day to consider and enjoy this 19th century painting by William Hunt, who envisioned this scene while meditating on Revelation 3:20: "Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hears my voice, and opens the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me." 

To express his vision, Hunt used objects with profound meaning and symbolism. He painted a night scene of an orchard, an analogy of the sleeping soul. The orchard represented the nourishment available to the soul. Ripened apples ready for harvest, are depicted in the lower right side of the picture. A bat flitting around in the darkness symbolizes ignorance.

As a model for Christ's face, Hunt chose a woman for gravity and sweetness of expression. But for the figure of Christ, he used a male model. Christ's jeweled robe and breastplate depicted his royal and priestly role and his reign over the body and soul that give allegiance to him. Hunt searched for a suitable material from a local linen draper for Christ's robe, but finally used a tablecloth altered by a tailor. It was white, symbolizing the Holy Spirit within.

A metalworker formed the heptagonal, domed lantern that served as a model for Hunt. Truth, symbolized by the lamp, shines despite obstacles. A closed rusty-hinged door represents the obstinately shut mind; the weeds suggest that the person inside has failed to look for truth. Christ is the bearer of light to the sinner behind the door. There is no handle on the door, because the human heart must be opened by the person inside.

In 1853, Hunt finished the painting he had envisioned and it was displayed in the Royal Academy in London. At first, religious viewers disliked the painting because they thought it reprehensive that Christ would be shown carrying a lantern. Christ IS The Truth, not merely the bearer of the truth, some thought. But they misinterpreted what Hunt had attempted to communicate. Art critics of the day also objected to the painting, particularly because its color scheme was heavy and opaque.

It wasn't until John Ruskin, an influential art critic, wrote to the London Times, that the painting gained acceptance. He defended and explained the painting -- "I believe there are a few persons on whom the picture, justly understood, will not produce a deep impression. For my own part, I think it is one of the noblest works of sacred art ever produced in this or any age."

Thanks to: http://www.bukisa.com/articles/125211_william-hunts-the-light-of-the-world-the-story-behind-the-painting#ixzz14KFS1mm3

for the historical information about and interpretation of this painting.