'I have come to the conclusion that if Christian critics and intellectuals can’t find Christ in the contemporary art world then all I can suggest is that they have not looked closely enough. And looking closely is what an art critic as well as a Christian is supposed to do. For it is in looking closely at the world, including art, that we can open ourselves up to the presence of Christ. And that is risky business, indeed; perhaps too risky for many who serve as the cultural gatekeepers of our souls'.
This is from a fascinating article by Daniel Siedell on theotherjournal.com exploring a Christian approach to contemporary art. He also talks about the importance of beauty, something that resonates with me missiologically - Bosch talks about Poiesis defined as 'imaginative and creative representation of evocative images'. He says that people do not only need 'truth' and 'justice' but that they also need beauty, and that often in the tug betwen truth and justice the element of beauty gets lost.
Many alt.worship groups are now engaging with contemporary art, and as I think about this - and for Sanctus1's engagement in arts through 40 Days, Gift and Dirty Mother - I am convinced that one reason is the rediscovery of missiological importance of beauty.
