Ruminations on art...

I've now been to the Dallas Museum of Art twice in the last week. I know that sounds real Vanderbiltian of me, but it was free both times. Well within my price range. On Tuesday, I went for my Creative Writing class (more on that below). Last night, I went with my Christian View of Art Class. Both were great trips. Each was unique. On Tuesday, I found a couple of pieces that I appreciated. For whatever reason, I liked them. On Thursday night, I walked around mostly with my professor and heard what I'd missed on Tuesday. Good stuff. If you live in the 'Plex and haven't been to the DMA, you need to go. It's fun, free on the first Tuesday of the month and every Thursday after 5pm, and features some great art. By people you've heard of. But whose work you've never seen. Until now.

Speaking of art, I just finished reading Modern Art and the Death of a Culture, by Hans Rookmaaker. I thoroughly enjoyed it. Rookmaaker traces the development of art in its historic contexts and shows how what we seen in modern art is really a logical consequence of modernism and the Enlightenment. Great argument. Being a Christ-follower, he also discusses what Christians' responses should be to art. Surprisingly, I don't think he'd like what he sees at Mardel.

I mentioned my creative writing trip to the DMA. We had to pick a piece of art and write about it, and make sure that we could bring a postcard or something that had the image to class. I selected a very tall European painting of a man, dressed in red and holding a battle axe. In the absence of any postcard, I selected a different image, but one that had still struck me. I wrote about Peaceable Kingdom, (above) painted by Edward Hicks. Apparently, Hicks was fascinated by this theme and produced some form of this painting over 100 times. My piece on this piece follows:

Peace came to Pennsylvania; predator rested with prey. With olive branch in hand, the child led nature’s cease-fire. William Penn, treaties and co-existence. Isaiah foresaw it all. With contented sighs the animals jostled, frolicked, nudged, played. Breathing in the honey air, who would want to leave? But this peace could not last. Man works like that. Peace came to Pennsylvania. Did you miss it?

Peace came to Palestine; the predator had his prey. With nails in hand, the child led judgment’s cease-fire. Pilate, beatings, agonizing existence. Isaiah foresaw it all. With horrified shrieks the women doubted, questioned, sobbed, prayed. Screaming in the blackened air, “Father, why did you leave?” But this death would not last. God works like that. Peace came to Palestine. Did you miss it?