Temporary Art in Worship

Many artistic works are created for a specific time or purpose; the artist does not intend for such temporary art to exist beyond the limits of the temporal space. The primary images and symbols of the Christian faith are important sources for these works whose purpose is to unlock their hidden meanings or to reveal new ones.

The Rationale for Temporary Installations of Art in Worship

Historically the visual arts have been an important part of the life of the church. Most of the production of art has been permanent and of intrinsic value. It has been used as a visual voice instructing worshipers in scriptural truths by means of illustration and symbol. Other work—mainly architecture—has been designed to provide environments that are appropriate for meditation and worship, to assist both the performance of the liturgy as well as to provide an appropriate ambiance for devotional exercises. In addition, the visual arts may be used as embellishment for sacred objects and places in much the same way as we wrap a present in beautiful paper and ribbon to set it apart from an ordinary box.

Temporary art, in contrast to the more intrinsically valuable permanent forms of religious art, is designed to have a short life span. In recent years there has been a desire by some Christian artists to create works that serve to complement a thematic focus within a particular worship service or series of services. This art aids the congregation in understanding the truth that is being taught from the Scriptures. It has a supporting role within the service, and as such, needs to be made with that intention in mind. Most of these artists share a philosophical conviction that the art object itself does not have intrinsic worth. Accordingly, they limit how much money is spent on materials and how much time is spent on the execution of the work. By nature, temporary works function best within these limitations. A primary goal in making temporary art is to avoid undue attention on the work itself and to have the work point beyond itself. If it fails on this point, the work is viewed as profane. For artists working in this genre, it is a constant struggle to create works with artistic integrity, fine craftsmanship, and an appropriately supportive role in corporate worship.

There is ample evidence that we are helped in our understanding of both material and spiritual reality through visual symbols. Using symbols as a vocabulary, the Christian artist can effectively use his/her artistic gifts for the good of the church. If the Christian artist assumes that the artistic gift has been given by God, and if there is a sense of obligation to the local body of believers to be a good steward for the benefit of the body, then doing art as an aid to worship will be a natural result.

The Power of Symbol in Temporary Art

A symbol is a sign which stands for something else. Through the imagination and the ability to make conceptual connections people invent symbols. We transform our knowledge and experience of the world and our inner subjective existence into codes, patterns, and visual configurations that represent reality by abstract means. A symbol is an image that expresses meaning indirectly; it is a surrogate image, a stand-in for other factual information.

The meaning of an image may not be understood by everyone seeing it. Its meaning is recognizable only to those who are initiated or who are able to use the imagination to make symbols. This fact divides symbols into two types: universal and particular. An example of a universal symbol is bread. We need no code or explanation to understand its meaning. One form of bread, a pretzel, is a particular symbol. We need an explanation apart from its literal message if it is to become a meaningful referent. In this case, the explanation is that a medieval monk awarded pretzels to children as an incentive for memorizing prayers. The shape was inspired by the folded arms of children in prayer. Once this connection is given, the pretzel becomes a symbolic pointer to some idea outside of itself. This mental function is what the German psychiatrist Herbert Siberer called auto-symbolization, a process by which our minds transform disparities into unified picture symbols.

An important value of a symbol is its ability to bridge the gap between the temporal and spiritual, the seen and the unseen. When used in this way, it is important to keep the distinction clear between symbol and reality; the symbol is merely a pointer or sign of the reality. A wedding ring is not the reality of marriage, it is a sign that one is married.

There is ample scriptural support for the use of the symbol in art as an aid to worship. Our Lord himself taught spiritual truths through symbols, including the mystery of his own passion through the symbol of the Eucharist. Once seen and understood, the symbol becomes a messenger of truth. John’s gospel is filled with examples: bread, vine, branches, light, shepherd, door, salt, water, wine. These are a small part of the extensive ready-made glossary for use by the artist in the service of the church. The use of these symbols informs beyond propositional statements. Symbols help us to understand some of the paradoxes of the very nature of Christ. For example, he is presented as both lamb and lion. Other symbols of Christ are just as diverse: grapevine, cornerstone, pioneers, door, bread, water, bridegroom, wine, rock, foundation, and so on. Because these are symbols or metaphors, one is able to hold many of these images in the mind simultaneously.

When using these symbols, and other newly invented ones, it is necessary for the artist to make sure the uninitiated are led into an understanding of their particular significance. Written explanations incorporated into bulletins are an efficient way to teach the meaning of the symbols. Verbal explanations during the homily or sermon are appropriate and helpful, enabling both the words and the visual forms to have a consonant impact on the congregation.

How Temporary Art Works

The start for artists making art as an aid to worship is to invent works that revolve around the major themes of the church calendar. This is the easiest due to the wealth of images that have come from art history and have established traditions in the church. The cross, crown, candles, cup, bread, lamb, lion, basin of water, towel, significant colors, circle, triangle, square, and numbers are a few of the important symbols that have been in use from the earliest days of the church and, for the most part, have their roots in Scripture.

In addition to creating works based on the major themes of the church calendar, the artist may invent works that support the theme of a sermon or series of sermons. Often this necessitates a combined effort of artist and minister together with the ideas of a worship committee. To begin, there needs to be advance planning that gives attention to the scriptural source of the theme or themes. It is helpful to have an ongoing conversation about the salient points of a given Scripture lesson and the visual images that the passage suggests. Next, the images need to be translated into simple symbols that will not complicate the fabrication of the idea. This proves to be the greatest challenge to the artist’s problem-solving ability. At this point, it is useful to consider materials that will make it possible to make an object out of the idea. Contemporary Christian artists working on temporary installations have found that materials such as felt, nylon, gauze, and paper allow for both inexpensive production and great potential for creativity. Three-dimensional works are often rendered in lightweight wood and foam board. Some artists have approached the work as set-design and have gained experience from this art form. The work is similar in concept and process to theater and installation art.

In one church during the Advent season, the theme of Christ emptying himself of his glorification to become as a servant and a sacrifice was made into a work, which supported ideas from a variety of texts including Philippians 2, 2 Corinthians 9:9, and Matthew 14:15–21. The top zone of the work consisted of blue and purple velvet representing the heavenly realm and royalty of Christ in that realm. Purple is the color of sorrow and penitence. The work was constructed to give the effect of descent. Under this top part was a series of six golden baskets, five filled with loaves of bread and one filled with two fishes (real bread and real smoked fish). This was a visual reminder of Matthew’s account of Christ’s feeding the multitude. Under this lineup of filled golden baskets were six empty baskets representing the needs of humanity and the potential of being filled. These were gray in color and were six in number to correspond to the six golden baskets and to represent the six works of mercy tending the hungry, the thirsty, the stranger, the naked, the sick, and the prisoner (Matt. 25:35–37). Under the gray baskets were torn, dirty, gray-dyed cheesecloth, representing the contrast to the royal, heavenly cloth in the top area. Humanity is in a needy condition but always with the potential of God’s grace cleansing and enrichment through the redemptive work of Christ the Savior.