Something
significant is happening. Religious art of superior quality
is seeing a groundswell among the Latter-day Saints. Beginning
with this column, Meridian brings you Steevun Lemon, who will
be writing each month on a second Renaissance of spiritual art
and highlighting significant Latter-day Saint artists.
The
recent release of the movie, The Passion of the Christ
has created no small stir, polarizing members and church groups
alike. Regardless of your opinions concerning the movie, it
is clear that the world is collectively thinking more of the
Savior today than it did even a few short weeks ago. This groundswell
of religious thinking has a shadow in the events that occurred
across Europe seven hundred years ago.
Most
of the people living in Europe at the end of fourteenth century
spent their lives in the labors of the day. They planted and
harvested, they bought and sold; they laughed and they lived
with little thought to events unfolding around them. Yet it
was those things they did not notice that forever shaped the
world and changed the way you and I think today.
Many
of us, too, spend our lives on the cares of our day with little
thought to the momentous events unfolding around us. We may
miss those seemingly insignificant events that will shape the
thinking of future generations. If we are to see things as they
really are, we must step back from the world and step forward
in faith. It requires humility and the eyes of the Spirit if
we are to sift the things of little importance from those of
eternal value.
This
past March found me in Rome on a business trip. My wife joined
me at the end of my stay and we took a week to see Italy. I
had been so focused on the business portion of the trip, I found
it difficult to make the transition to tourist, a flaw my wife
is all too familiar with. As we arrived in Florence, I was tired
and ready to be done with Italian culture, but since my vacation
checklist called for a visit to see Michelangelo’s “David,”
there was little choice but to endure yet another museum.
I
dutifully bought the guidebook, mustered up my courage, and
started the tour. “David” is the final stop in the museum, and
as I turned that last corner nothing could have prepared me
for what I saw. It was as if I was staring at something heavenly,
something that didn’t belong on this earth. As I looked, all
of my tiredness melted and something inside of me changed.
I
imagined myself in Florence on the day Michelangelo unveiled
“David.” The square was packed with people, but it was the people
who stayed home that I thought about. In hindsight, we would
give up almost anything to have stood on that square on that
day. Yet, though it was offered freely, most who lived at the
time chose instead to spend their time on things that, although
pressing, were of little worth. With this thought I began to
wonder…what was I spending my life on?
I
recognized that we were in the midst of a second Renaissance—one
that will prove more powerful than the first. And just as before,
most people are unaware that anything is happening.
Keys to the Renaissance
From
its earliest scratchings, art has sought to communicate and
take the viewer to places and times unreachable through other
means. The artists of the Renaissance were no exception. Artists
like Leonardo DaVinci, Raphael, Botticelli, Donatello, and Michelangelo
focused on scriptural events and transformed the way the world
viewed the Bible. Who can look at the Sistine Chapel and not
come away with a lasting image of the creation as God touches
the finger of Adam?
One
need not suppose that these artists were angelic or that their
benefactors were perfectly pious, but one cannot dispute that
the artwork they created was inspired. Though their personalities
and passions ran from fiery to fearful, the wonder of the renaissance
lies in their unified desire to use their talents to portray
the divine.
Upon
further reflection we see that three keys were necessary to
bring about the Renaissance. First, an economic model that supported
the production of art; second, artists with world-class talent;
and third and most important, inspiration from the Holy Ghost.
Economic Model of the Renaissance
In
the fourteenth century, a group of powerful Florentine families
rose in prominence and power. The Medici family was among this
group, rising to become one of the leading banking families
in Europe. The Medicis spent their new-found wealth on the arts,
becoming the primary patrons to Leonardo DaVinci, Botticelli,
Donatello, and Michelangelo.
While
the Medici patronage began by commissioning and paying for artwork
in advance, in time their support grew in intensity and duration.
Lorenzo de’Medici found Michelangelo at fourteen years old in
the art schools of the day and adopted him into the Medici family.
Michelangelo received living quarters, food, and all of the
other necessities of life. His time thus became fully devoted
to the study and creation of art.
The
Medici support allowed many artists to create in an environment
largely free from the worries of earning a scant maintenance.
They could create without thought of how to provide food and
shelter for themselves and their families. It is true that the
crucible of necessity can produce amazing results, but the ability
to create free from distractions and worries is necessary for
the full influence of the Spirit to work.
Revolutionary Talent
The
artists of the Renaissance pushed the envelope of the known
art world. They shattered the two-dimensional portraiture of
the Dark Ages and began experimenting with three-dimensional
perspective. Their artwork moved far beyond storytelling and
focused on the emotion and realism of the moment. Who can look
at the paintings of Michelangelo without imagining for a moment
that you have stumbled upon the scene as it might have happened?
The
pursuit of realism drove artists like Leonardo DaVinci and Michelangelo
to open the human body and explored the inner workings of human
anatomy. It drove those like Bernini and others to sculpt the
human form with an exactness and perfection unseen to that time.
Their achievements were revolutionary; they broke new ground
and explored new techniques that changed artwork forever.
They
were the best in the world, unrivaled by any others before them
and by few since. Without the advances they pioneered, the Renaissance
would not have had the lasting impact on those that viewed the
paintings then or view them now. Without perspective, lighting,
and realism the artwork of their day would have remained as
little more than unknown altarpieces and murals dotting the
Italian landscape.
Inspiration of the Holy Ghost
The
former keys are meaningless without the illumination of the
Spirit. While it is true that artists may produce masterpieces
of various subjects, it is those subjects that stir our souls
and cause us to contemplate our Creator that make the greatest
difference. By and large, these artists choose to paint and
sculpt the life of the Savior. They portrayed the stories of
the Bible—the Last Supper, the Crucifixion, and the Resurrection.
They spent their days bearing testimony to the greatness of
God and the divinity of His Son. They were not without imperfections,
but their lives were filled with faith.
There
will be those who read this that argue against the character
of these artists. They will cite an obscure source to prove
that they were less than perfect and could not therefore create
masterpieces of piety. To them I reply with a reference from
Mark Twain’s classic novel, Huckleberry Finn:
I
about made up my mind to pray, and see if I couldn't try to
quit being the kind of a boy I was and be better. So I kneeled
down. But the words wouldn't come. Why wouldn't they? It warn't
no use to try and hide it from Him. Nor from ME, neither. I
knowed very well why they wouldn't come. It was because my heart
warn't right; it was because I warn't square; it was because
I was playing double. I was letting ON to give up sin, but away
inside of me I was holding on to the biggest one of all. I was
trying to make my mouth SAY I would do the right thing and the
clean thing…but deep down in me I knowed it was a lie, and He
knowed it. You can't pray a lie — I found that out.
Neither
can you paint a lie. An artist may fool a few for a time, but
the art will inevitably reveal its creator. One needs look no
further than the works of the Renaissance to ascertain the true
character and nature of its creators. Enough said.
Second Renaissance
Like
so many things in life, we sense some things before we can prove
their existence. In the art world there are rumblings surrounding
religious art that can only be compared with a second Renaissance.
As with the first Renaissance, all of keys are now present.
We see the emergence of a viable economic model that supports
the arts, a group of LDS artists recognized among the best in
the world, and the inspiration of the Holy Ghost moving upon
these artists to create the masterpieces of tomorrow.
Shifting Economics of Art
To understand the changing economics behind art requires
an understanding of the way art is experienced. Although Gutenberg
built his printing press in 1436, the ability to reproduce art
would have to wait for another 250 years.
With the advent of lithography, artists now had the
ability to produce thousands of copies of a single image. This
expanded reach came at a price. The days of wealthy benefactors
commissioning great works of art dimmed. Commissions like the
Sistine Chapel, Michelangelo’s “Pieta”, and the works of St.
Peter’s Basilica were replaced with a focus on producing artwork
that appealed to a mass audience and thereby garnered economic
support.
The masses clamored for more traditional landscapes
and other innocuous subjects, leaving religious art to wane.
Increasingly, world’s best artists turned their attention to
filling demand rather than creating religious masterpieces.
The LDS market was no exception. Many LDS artists focused their
attentions on more popular genres and away from religious subjects.
In the LDS art market, the base of consumers is only
now beginning to emerge. To see how this market has develop
requires us to step back and look at the artists that pioneered
LDS art. Giving a brief history of anything runs the same risk
as making a speech at the Oscars, you are inevitably going to
leave someone out and hear about in the morning. My disclaimer
is that this list is not intended to be exhaustive, but rather
to give a few of the mileposts along this journey.
Latter-Day Saint Arts
Any discussion of LDS art begins with an artist who
was not a member of the Church, but who has changed the way
we view the Savior forever—Carl Bloch. Born 1834, Carl first
achieved notoriety when the King of Denmark commissioned him
to paint his Praying Chamber after it was destroyed in a fire.
From this commission emerged his collective works on the life
of the Savior. These paintings have made up the staple of LDS
images and most have been printed and distributed by the Church
for decades. Bloch was the last major religious artist to operate
under the patronage of a wealthy benefactor.
The first LDS artist on any history of LDS arts is Carl
Christensen A. Christensen. Born in Denmark in 1832, C. C. A.
Christensen joined the Church when he was eighteen years old.
After returning from a mission to his homeland he immigrated
to America and pulled a handcart to Utah.
A self-taught artist, his greatest contribution was
his Mormon Panorama—a collection of 22 paintings depicting the
history of the Mormon experience. C.C.A. Christensen did not
enjoy the luxury of a patron. He painted in his spare time while
tending to the chores of the day. He spent his life touring
various congregations and displaying his paintings, but during
his lifetime his works never moved beyond the immediate circle
of Saints here in the West.
Recognizing the need for arts in the Church, Brigham
Young called a team of artisans to France to study the arts
and architecture of Europe. One of these men, Truman O. Angel,
went on to design the Salt Lake Temple and others of the company
painted the murals in the early temples.
|
Christ in
the Red Robe – Minerva Teichert |
Although the Church did not provide this ongoing patronage
for artists, it set a precedence of the importance of arts and
served to inspire up and coming LDS artists. One of these artists
was Minerva Teichert.
Born in 1888, Minerva studied at the Art Institute of
Chicago. Upon the advice of her mentor, she undertook to paint
the history of the Mormons. Her paintings were the first collective
work to depict Book of Mormon events. Following in the footsteps
of the early church artisans, her crowning work is the mural
in the World room of the Manti temple. Today, Minerva’s paintings
are among the most avidly collected early Mormon works, but
the market did not exist for her. She sold few of her paintings
during her lifetime, and gave most away to friends and family.
|
Nephi
Journeying to Promised Land – Friberg |
In the early 1950’s, Arnold Friberg was commissioned
to create a set of paintings depicting the major events of the
Book of Mormon. These paintings became the bedrock of LDS art
and have shaped the way members of the Church see the Book of
Mormon. For example, when I say, “Abinadi” what pops into your
mind? Is it the fat King Noah with his plume of feathers and
the leopard at his feet with the bearded Abinadi standing in
chains before him? This is the power of art—it does not just
shape, it creates the way we see the world.
In the ensuing years there were many artists including,
Del Parsons, Robert T. Barrett, and Al Rounds who further explored
the Mormon experience. They were among the earliest pioneers
to publish and sell art specifically for the LDS community.
The volume was small and limited to a small geographic area,
but this work laid the foundation of the consumer economic model
that would support LDS arts in the future.
Today, we see the fruits of those early pioneer’s labors.
Even five years ago it was difficult to find any LDS artwork
for sale outside the Church Distribution system. Now you cannot
enter an LDS bookstore without finding the walls covered in
world-class LDS art. This increasing consumer demand is fueling
the economics of art and making it possible for ever-increasing
numbers of LDS artists to migrate from more traditional art
pursuits into religious artwork.
World Renowned Talent
In the1980’s, Greg Olsen began painting the life of
the Savior. Greg’s talent was recognized nationally in the Christian
market and he was one of the first LDS artists to be carried
by a national publishing house. His depictions of Christ are
among the most recognizable in the LDS community. His image,
“O’ Jerusalem “, has sold more copies than any other
commercially produced piece of LDS art to date.
click to enlarge
 |
Lazarus – Liz Lemon Swindle |
In the early 1990’s, Liz Lemon Swindle left a promising
career in wildlife art and began painting children. Two years
later she began a series of paintings depicting the life of
Joseph Smith. This body of work created something different
in religious art. She focused on the people in our shared
history, allowing us to see ourselves in characters that had
been distant and two-dimensional before. Her painting of Joseph
cradling his infant son, “While Emma Sleeps,” brought Joseph
Smith out of the shadows and into our living rooms.
|
While
Emma Sleeps – Liz Lemon Swindle |
Then there were LDS artists like James Christensen,
Chris Young, Robert Marshall, Jeffrey Hein, and others whose
talents gained them national followings, but whose hearts kept
them painting religious topics when there was little interest.
Today, we take for granted that there is an LDS art community.
We forget that even a few short years ago, LDS artists gave
away more paintings than they sold and few were known outside
the confines of the Western United States.
These LDS artists and many others are nationally known
and recognized among the finest artists in the world today.
They are creating art that is not just good LDS art; it is exceptional
in its own right.
Inspiration of the Holy Ghost
From these early pioneers and countless others has emerged
the vibrant and growing LDS art community. Every week I hear
of new artists who have chosen to move away from their respective
genres and join their fellows preaching Christ through art.
This growing swell of nationally known and recognized artists
is shaping the face of the spiritual landscape just as Michelangelo,
Leonardo DaVinci, and others did seven hundred years ago. Who
can doubt when they look at the works of these artists that
they are inspired?
As I stared at the “David” last March, I realized that
I wanted more than just a good job in this life. I wanted to
be part of this second Renaissance and focus on the beautiful
and the exalting. I wanted to abandon the pressing cares of
the day, drop everything, and rush to the square to see the
next Michelangelo. I invite you to join me.
