Painting

Square Halo – Hearts and Minds

By Chip Cain | Published December 24, 2009

SqLogoJust in case you missed the exhibition I mentioned in my last post, I promised that I would provide a link to a book that will in some way replicate the exhibition. Well here is that link: two links in fact.

Square Halo is the publisher of the book Rouault-Fujimura: Soliloquies by Thomas S. Hibbs. And you may purchase the book online from Hearts and Minds. In fact Hearts and Minds may be the only source for this book. I receive nothing from them for this or my last post but even so I recommend you visit both. I’m sure both websites will be enlightening.

We don’t care what you do in NY

By Chip Cain | Published December 19, 2009

Recently I ran across two juxtaposed thoughts related to NY city; although they relate to a much larger picture. Peggy Noonan wrote an opinion piece for the online version of the Wall Street Journal today titled The Adam Lambert problem.  She says “America is good at making practical compromises, and one of the compromises we’ve made in the area of arts and entertainment is captured in the words “We don’t care what you do in New York.” That was said to me years ago by a social conservative who was explaining that he and his friends don’t wish to impose their cultural sensibilities on a city that is uninterested in them, and that the city, in turn, shouldn’t impose its cultural sensibilities on them. He was speaking metaphorically; “New York” meant “wherever the cultural left happily lives.” I believe many across the US think this way; that NY is out of touch with me. But this would be wrong on may levels.

I told you there was a juxtaposition of thoughts, well the other thought isn’t really a thought but actually an art exhibition.

Rouault-Fujimura

You may have heard of French painter Georges Rouault (1871-1958) but what about New York artist Makato Fujimura? The Dillon Gallery in NY (remember that city we don’t care about) has put together an art exhibit that puts these two artist together. And by putting their work together the Dillon Gallery has put together a meeting of two artists with very different styles but similar spiritual perspectives. You can find representations of redemption in their work and thereby not only redeeming the viewer they also redeem NY city. Since this exhibition ends on Dec 24th it’s probably too late to make plans to go see it but in a couple of days I’ll post the second best thing to being there.

The Gift of The Unknown

By Chip Cain | Published January 12, 2009

As our culture changes, Walter Brueggemann has observed, we must restate eternal truths in order for them to remain truthful. For the faithful, the artistic imagination can safeguard the strangeness and newness of the gospel, preserving it from domestication by our ideologies and culture. This year, the Trinity Arts Conference theme urges us to curiosity and courage as we approach the changes essential to vibrant art.

Each year the Trinity Arts Conference draws filmmakers, journalists, actors, writers, poets, composers, visual artists, dancers, and musicians for three days of workshops, seminars, lectures, readings, exhibitions, and performances. We’ll meet in the congenial and relaxed atmosphere of the University of Dallas, a wooded cloister of studios, classrooms, auditoriums, and galleries.

The above was taken from their brochure

Interested? Here’s the link –> Trinity Arts Conference

A different kind of painting found

By Chip Cain | Published February 22, 2008

Some of the earlies known paintings have been discovered in the Bamian caves of Afghanistan. you can view some of them at National Geographic’s website.

Two of four stolen paintings found

By Chip Cain | Published February 22, 2008

This almost old news now but I needed to follow up on my entry about four paintings that were stolen from a swiss museum. It is rare that such stolen paintings are found but swiss police have reported the recovery of two paintings; one by Claude Monet and the other a Van Gogh.

When can Marc Chagall visit my church?

By Chip Cain | Published February 17, 2008

A couple of years ago my church hosted a traveling exhibition of some lithographs by Marc Chagall & intaglio prints by Ben Zion. For many of us who enjoy art this was an exciting event in the life of our church: and I enjoyed being a part of it. There was a lot of preparation involved especially if you consider that we were only able to show the art for one weekend. Friday was the gala opening with close to 200 people attending. But because the church I attend is a large church there were many more viewing the art before and after our two services on Sunday morning. I heard from many in our congregation of how much they enjoyed viewing the works and marveling over how we were able to host such an exhibit. I need to share at this point that none of this would have been possible without Ed Knippers, an artist in his own right, and Christians In the Visual Arts (CIVA) making these works available: we are thankful that they have.There is something about the works of Chagall that I need to share. His lithographs were visual representations found in the Old Testament and some of the people depicted were naked or partially naked. As I have said the comments received were positive with the exception of two (that I know of). One was upset that the works shown were not by Christians: Chagall & Zion were both orthodox Jews. And the other one was clearly upset by the nudity. But when we discussed the issue further they stated that it “would have been no problem if these works were viewed in a museum somewhere.” This has sparked some thinking about where Art meets Church and I would like to hear from you on some of these questions rattling about in my brain. I have provided a sample of the art from the exhibition for you to consider: if you click on the picture you will see a somewhat larger version.

So . . .

  • Should only art by Christians be displayed at church?
  • When can Art containing nudity be displayed in the church?
  • Why is Art that is ok in the museum not ok in the church?
  • Are answers to the above questions absolutes or would they vary depending on the situation?


Monet, Van Gogh, Degas and Cezanne Stolen: Worth 163 million

By Chip Cain | Published February 11, 2008

The New York Times has reported that “Three thieves, wearing dark clothes and ski masks, walked into the Emile Bührle Foundation, a private collection housed a couple of miles outside of Zurich’s city center on the shore of Lake Zurich, around 4:30 p.m. on Sunday, a short while before the museum was due to close. The collection is considered to be one of the biggest privately owned collections of French impressionists in the world.”

The U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation puts losses from art and cultural property crime at $6 billion a year. The biggest U.S. art heist was of some $300 million of Rembrandts and other works stolen from Boston’s Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, in 1990, according to the FBI Web site.

It is sad that the art has been stolen and taken out of the public forum and adding insult to injury it was for the investment they represent and not the artistic works they are that they were stolen. We can only hope the thieves and the art are found soon.

"Speaking about the unspeakable"

By Chip Cain | Published January 28, 2008

Samuel Bak, has said he is “a painter speaking about the unspeakable.” and because what he says is true I have found it hard to write about this painter. It is easier to direct others to the many links where his art can be found for viewing, but so that this is more than just a link I will add the following comments.
Within Samuel Bak’s art are many commentaries missed by the casual viewer. There is a strong “Jewish” flavor to his paintings that I would liken to the sound familiar in Jewish folk music. We hear the sound but don’t immediately think of the religion, only that is is of jewish origin. Although Bak’s paintings are layered with images of the holocaust, or its remnants, it is not limited to the cruelty done to Jews, and it is not always the primary message. Many of his paintings provide me with an uninvited melancholy. They force me to look at subjects I would rather not. To some it would be easy to glance at his work and not be touched; but that is due more to our inability to look at anything disturbing. And to our natural state of being which panders to what we like and discards what we don’t like. Rarely do we (note the “we”) push ourselves far enough to consider another point of view. Samual Bak’s extensive body of work makes every attempt to show us another point of view. Let me encourage you to reflect on those points of view.
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