This chapter of Grace & Necessity talks about Flannery O'Connor and her philosophies and ideas. O'Connor has written many novels, "Wise Blood"(1952) for example, which includes four short stories. Her novels and stories are peopled mostly with characters who are the result of O'Connor's view of the world. Williams speaking about O'Connor: "She is always taking taking for granted that God is possible - thinkable or accessible or even manifest - in the most grotesque and empty or cruel situations; she pursues the unacceptable in the ironic faith that the pursuit will vindicate God, at least the extent that God is intrinsic to whatever is uncovered in the work of writing." (Williams, 100) I believe that God should be intrinsic to whatever is uncovered in a work of Christian art. How should artists go about creating artwork with such intrinsic value?
O'Connor also talks about how you can't put truth into a form. The truth creates its own form. Another way of looking at this is from the concept point of view. Before you even begin a project you have to have a concept, and if the concept is strong enough, the form will be created by that concept to communicate its message, while the artwork doesn't necessarily portray Truth. As a Christian artist, there are pieces of art that aren't intended to be religious, but the concept (Truth) dictates how the piece of art is created because certain combinations of symbols, objects, colors, lines, shapes, blobs of paint, etc. that are filled with meaning eventually uncover the Truth (concept) about that piece of art.
"One of the things that has been alleged to be the purpose of art is its cognitive function: art as a means
to the acquisition of truth. Art has even been called the avenue to the highest knowledge available to humans and to a kind of knowledge impossible of attainment by any other means." [3]
Albert Bierstadt, Mount Hood, Oregon 1869, Portland Art Museum.
An interesting quote I found on page 129, is Williams talking about how O'Connor's irony depends on something like this; "People are bound together in both seeking for God and the rejection of God and their acknowledgement of the reality of being together in rejection can trigger a sense of the other solidarity." All the more reason to not be afraid to show we are Christians, in my opinion.
[1]Williams, "Grace & Necessity"
[2]http://salempress.com/store/samples/survey_american_lit/survey_american_lit_flannery.htm
[3]http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/36433/art-philosophy-of/36285/Art-as-a-means-to-truth-or-knowledge
Kyle I like your comments about truth and form. Truth will dictate what direction or concept one will approach or tackle. I like the Bierstadt painting you used, but would like a bit more connection to as to why you included it. Also, I like the quote you found at the britannica site, but can't help wonder if there someone to attribute to who said it. The quote very much ties into concepts we have been discussing from earlier chapters.
ReplyDeleteI love and agree with your thoughts when you wrote, "Before you even begin a project you have to have a concept, and if the concept is strong enough, the form will be created by that concept to communicate its message, while the artwork doesn't necessarily portray Truth." It really illustrates what O'Connors point, and the thoughts you gave there after about how Christians incorporate Truth. Specifically designers have an interesting challenge but you're right about all the factors that contribute to making something and allow Truth to come from it.
ReplyDeleteI get that artists can create using a concept to create truth and form; but must an artist always have a 'concept'? Isn't it also possible to not have a concept, but just to let go and allow intuition to lead the art into truth and form? If I am creating to show 'truth' wouldn't my head be getting in the way and I am 'simply moving the inside to the outside'?
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