City Light Art Show

A few weeks ago our ministry had our very first art show around our services on Sunday mornings. We were hoping to display the work of many of our resident artists in our ministry. A lot of people ask me about the emphasis on the arts at City Light. At our church the gospel takes the central role. But the idea of centrality presupposes the idea of a periphery. The arts aren’t central to our ministry but is one of the things in the periphery which comes out of our conviction of the gospel. The preaching of the gospel declares God’s power and brilliance but the display of art shows people that beauty in a tangible way. Art doesn’t save anyone but it points people in the direction of a transcendent Creator. Art celebrates His Creation and shouts His praise. But in contrast art can also reflect life in a fallen world and echo the lament of the unredeemed. We’re hoping to build an arts community that can show the beauty of Christ in the city and in all of creation.

A couple of weeks later Tony Hong also exhibited his work at the monthly Downtown Los Angeles Artwalk. If you’ve never been it’s one of the best things going on in Downtown. It’s the second Thursday of every month. Amidst the cool crowds, street food vendors and noise  you can see some very good art for free. Check out Tony’s work at tonyhong.net.

Filed under: Art

The Art Resurgence

Lately City Light has been focusing on the arts. We just formed a new Arts and Media ministry. They’ve already redesgined our logo and we’re working on a new website and videos. Next month we’ll be having an Arts Month at our church. We’re going to be featuring the work of some resident City Light artists during our worship services.

Historically Christians have flourished in the arts. Some of the greatest works of art and architecture reflected the beauty of the Creator. We believe that as the preached word demonstrates the beauty of Christ, the arts illustrate that same beauty.

Finally I wanted to promote one of resident artist, Tony Hong. He just started a new company called the Cosmonaut that designs Christian T-shirts. I’m thrilled with his designs, creativity and passion. Visit his website at http://cosmonautlife.com. The Arts Resurgence is just beginning…

Filed under: Art

Basquiat

One of my favorite artists is Basquiat. He was an American graffiti artists that became prominent in the 80s. There was a big Basquiat exhibit a few years ago at Los Angeles’ MOMA. I think he’s the forerunner to a lot of contemporary artists like Murakami and of course the street artists like Shepherd Fairey that we see today.
I like to think of him as visual hip-hop for the creative soul. He mixes in a lot of themes and begins to challenge the distinction between high and low art.

The image above is a self-portrait. It’s reminiscent of the most primitive forms of art found in the caves of ancient man. He’s carrying an arrow like an ancient hunter. But there are also signs of modernity. He has seeming dreads on his head and his grill-like “smile” and eyes seem comical. His right hands and toes are exaggerated. He is a very ancient/modern hunter and his own comic hero in a newly arranged landscape.

A lot of Basquiat’s drawings explore issues of race, class and alienation. Basquiat was part Puerto Rican and Haitian and grew up in the streets of New York City. He became a cult celebrity and seems to struggle with his newfound fame and status in his works. Art can be a way to understand and explore cultures other than our own. It can evoke conversations about class and race in modern society. It’s one of the many reasons that Christians should really be engaged in the arts today. Much of artistry today become the worldview of tomorrow’s generation.

I’ve been thinking alot about the place of art and design in the church. It’s either not discussed at all or given a secondary status. But artistic design gives us an avenue to portray the beauty of God to an unbelieving world and also to engage the worldview of a broken generation. Let’s continue to work, pray, converse, dream and create as we seek to reach our fragmented generation for God’s glory.

Filed under: Art

Kanye West at the Nokia

Last night Nina and I got to visit the Nokia Theater to go see Kanye West in his “Glow in the Dark Tour.” I was telling Nina that I must be the only ordained minister going to the concert! Ministers don’t really listen to rap I’m assuming. But I’ve loved hip-hop from my teenage years (as my diminishing accent betrays).

First off the Nokia Theater is a wonderful venue. It’s super sleek, accessible and the acoustics are terrific. I would imagine that artists are going to start preferring to play at Nokia than the cavernous Staples Center right across from it. The concert attracted a lot of younger, early twenty-something people. I was surprised at the dearth of African Americans at the concert. They were far more white and asian people in attendance. It speaks to question of rising ticket prices and accessibility of tickets for the diverse demographics of Los Angeles.

The concert featured a few openers: Lupe Fiasco, NERD and Rhianna. They were alright butt their music doesn’t really appeal to me as much. It took a good TWO HOURS before Kanye finally took the stage. By that time many in attendance were intoxicated and anxious. Mr. West definitely didn’t disappoint. The concert was in the form of a “rock opera” where Kanye was aboard a spaceship that crashed in an unknown universe. His mission was to return home and provide entertainment for a universe that had lost its way.

What I admire about Kanye West is his ability to transcend the genre of rap. He takes a rap concert and makes it into theatre. He takes a genre that has devolved into violence, sex and drugs and transforms it musically and lyrically. He infuses a lot of his music with jazz, rock and classic and modern R&B. His last records includes a chorus by Coldplay. It’s not like this hasn’t been down before but it’s never been done to this level of excellence. He lyrics are not only clever but introspective. He realizes in his lyrics the personal contradictions that he feels with his success, frustrations and failures. Where modern hip-hop artists like Common can bring us back to the essence of hip-hop, Kanye shows his ability to at times transcend the genre. Even artistically he brings in the famed modern artist Murakami. It’s a perfect fit because Murakami explores the ideas of high and low art and merges into category defying whole. Many of West’s background sets recalled Murakami including a plastic doll that he talks to in the middle of the concert. Artistically West really breaks new ground for the rap genre.

Having said that of course West has his flaws and limitations. He’s worldview isn’t necessary Christian even though “Jesus Walks.” But he gives us an interesting glimpse into culture, class, human struggle, and the blending of different categories of art. But most of all I just think he’s a lot of fun.

Filed under: Art, Music

Murakami at MOCA

A few weeks ago the City Ministry team visited the Murakami exhibit at MOCA in Little Tokyo. It was the first time I’ve been to this art space. It’s a wonderful museum with spacious gallery areas. The Murakami exhibit was really fascinating. It was a sensory overload of colors and images. Murakami characteristically blends high art with pop art. I like this aspect of modern art which blurs the lines between what is considered high and low art. Ten years ago you would never imagine comic book images in a contemporary art gallery let alone as a featured presentation. But Murakami manages to expose our subjectivity when it comes to art. He uses traditional Japanese artistry while painting non-traditional subjects. Much of his work seem to provoke reaction from the observer. He challenges our assumption that high art has to be relegated to certain subject matters as nature or people.

I think a lot of his work provides commentary on a culture of excess. His exhibit brims with a shallow happiness. One room was filled with happy faces that were in different colors and variations. You feel at once overwhelmed and crowded. The effect of this “happiness” is the opposite of its outward intent. The irony of modern life is that the media inundates us with “happy images” when we are by and large depressed. Murakami also has a lot to say about consumer culture. He actually had a room selling his famous Louis V. handbags. The genius of Murakami is that he can commentate on excess while cashing in on it himself.

The limitations of Murakami is that he can commentate on specific aspects of culture without giving us an alternative to it. This is in many ways the weakness of many postmodern artists. They can show you the shallowness of society but have a hard time pointing to that which is transcendent. The transcendent aspects of art are best exemplified by classic artists. I think Christian artists can fill the void in this postmodern landscape by showing forth artistry that shows the brokenness of society but the beauty of grace.

Filed under: Art