There’s nothing like great art to inspire great creativity, awe, and joy. A recent art collector found $42.6 million worth of joy in a painting by Roy Lichtenstein (pictured right). What compels such an audacious purchase, such profound responses to the art we love?
Jonsi, Lyle Lovett & David Fincher
Awe-inspiring creativity is what I feel when I walk away from a Jonsi concert, a Lyle Lovett and his Large Band show, or watch a film like The Game, directed by David Fincher. In the case of Jonsi, the fusion of diverse instrumentation, unmatched vocals, and video imagery. With Lyle, a musicianship that pushes 14 other people up front to create a harmony and western swing that is both witty and jaw-dropping at once. With, Fincher’s films a storyline, cinematography and suspense that draw you into the plot refusing to let you go. Immense creativity, excellence, and talent gather at a the head of these artists’ respective mediums to inspire the viewer to create themselves, or, at the very least, to worship.
When Admiration Overflows
We might walk away adoring the talent, struck by such deep admiration that we can’t pry our fingers off of the personality. We end up adoring the artist so much that we overflow in joy and awe in conversations with others. “You have to see X live. They are so incredible.” There is certainly no replacement for a live performance of a great artist, but I doubt we would find their lives entirely admirable were we given a glimpse into all the decisions that led them to that stage, moment, or piece.
Art and Community
When our admiration overflows, where should it go? Some would say to the community, to people around us with whom we can share our joy. A joy shared is a joy doubled. We gather community around us to increase our effusive satisfaction in witnessing great art. A concert, a conversation after a movie, a book club. When admiration overflows it requires community, but when it overflows uncritically the admiration is offered unduly. Yes, unduly.
How Art Fails Us
The true object of admiration is not the art or the artist, though they should receive our respect and admiration for their creative works. What we find ourselves doing in this blessed act of admiration is reaching the shores of the Originator of what is good, beautiful, true, symmetrical, harmonious, and excellent. All too often we fall short of the shore, remaining content to ride the undulating sea of creativity and excellence until we encounter yet another peak into the originator of the good, true, and beautiful. We go from artistic experience to experience—a book, a film, a concert, another download—hungering for one more glimpse, one more shot of beauty, but as each shot fades we subtly realize that another artistic experience isn’t enough. Art fails us.
Made for More Than Art
We were made for more than art, more than admiring art. Art breeds worship. But worshiping the art/artist (we would rarely state it so boldly) does not consummate our joy. Art is meant, not to breed worship of itself but of its ultimate originator. Art breeds worship through its medium not to its medium. It graciously, wonderful guides us but can not open the human heart in admiration to God. Art breeds worship but should not receive worship. We were made for more than art.
