So, I checked out the Islamic art exhibit. But only cause I had to for homework. Thankfully, it ended up being awesome. I’ve never taken the time to really look at/study/try-and-appreciate this type of art, so this was a really wonderful experience. A lot of it wasn’t like anything I’d really seen before. I’ve seen Arabic writings, but never on a scale this large. It was awesome how they used their writing as an art form. As a simple dude that only sees it as undecipherable pictures, it really appears to be a work of art. I’d seen sculptures and pottery similar to the ones displayed in the Islamic exhibit, but even these were different because of their engravings and subject matter.
It seems to me that nearly everything in Islamic culture is meant to bring you closer to God. They write their scriptures and decorate the bindings with beautiful, elaborate calligraphy so it’s worthy of God. They understand the deep complexity of the earth God has created, but still find simplistic, geometric patterns to replicate. Christian artwork is quite often somber and meant to almost scare the viewer into repentance and piousness. This Islamic art invites the viewer to see how great God is and make their own decision to follow him.
I love how selfless all of the art was. There was never a “created by” or signature on any of the pieces, which is a stark contrast from modern art. It seems that the Muslim artists are too busy exercising their talents (and, because of this, almost thanking God for them) and bringing others to God to bother asking for praise. They are able to create because of the gifts God has given them, so they give all the praise to God through their art. It’s a really admirable thing, and makes me realize that I can be so much more thankful for what God has given me in my own life – especially when it comes to my creativity.
I really like the point that Matt brings up regarding the fact that none of the art work is signed. I too feel like a lot of Christian art is very somber trying to bring us to repentance, and I also feel like many Christian artists like to be recognized for their work. This is not necessarily a bad thing unless it is the only reason you are creating art. I hope to be the kind of artist that knows how to glorify God, but do it in such a way that draws more attention to him than myself. It is important to make a living, but it is more important to give credit where credit is due. The credit goes to God, and the artwork that we were privileged to see is a wonderful example of that.
ReplyDeleteI didn't even notice that none of the artists took credit for their work, so I am really glad that you pointed that out. That is true humility right there, since this style requires such talent, precision, and patience. I'm no where close to having this sort of humility or, ironically, this degree of skill. I also really liked that Sam pointed out that God is the one who blesses individuals with this kind of talent, and these Muslim artists have no problem recognizing that.
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