A Deeper Reality

As Christians we know that there is more to life than material things. There are realities that we cannot physically comprehend. When we think "abstract" we think of words like "God, souls, love, truth, fear." These are as solid realities as the material ones. But there other things which are real. Relationships between things, between people, between material and immaterial, and between immaterial things are actualities themselves. In fact, every thing and concept is affected by every other one. When we know someone really well we know them for more than what they look like, more than what they do, we know as them. I am not endorsing the neo-platonic view of separation of material and immaterial (that earthly things are bad). An illustration of this how we react to color. A room painted red will give a different effect than one in blue. Or try line. A solid straight line seems to say something different a loose curvy one. It is different but is it the same difference to everyone? As an artist I am interested in understanding this deeper reality. When I first started to draw, my goal was lifelikeness. I did not achieve this in any way. Then I realized that it is not what you know but what you see. The eyes see things differently than they are. (A bird may look like a flash of white). But this past year I have connected a few more dots. Art is about creating an image. It translates something that previously existed into something that can be viewed and shared. It brings something from the immaterial world into the tangible. Often, and this is my goal, it communicates about something that we know or understand in a more powerful way(than simply looking). As my professor says, "Artists are no different(capability-wise) than anyone else-they are just much more sensitive to what they are perceiving." Abstract and non-objective art is often a result of this search for understanding the reality of something. (though not necessarily). It is not just what things look like that contributes to its essence. In Christian Perspective class, the professor said,"What is the ultimate reality? God." I asked" How can something more or less real? That is an absolute." He said that is not what he meant. Everything is caused by something else. We call God the Prime Mover and ultimate Truth. Everything is not God, but He is the Creator sustainer. So as Christian artists when we are searching for that something more, we are learning about God and his creation. It is a lifelong journey, one that I am eager for and that I am excited to be on.