Wikio - Top Blogs - Religion and belief

Sunday 16 October 2011

Beyond 'Airbrushed from Art History' (6)

Lord Harries' begins a series of lectures this week on Christian Faith and Modern Art at the Museum of London.

The last century has seen changes in artistic style that have been both rapid and radical. This has presented a particular problem to artists who have wished to express Christian themes. These illustrated lectures will look at how different artists have responded to this challenge whilst retaining their artistic integrity.

The Explosion of Modernism. Wednesday, 19 October 2011 - 1:00pm: The period before World War 1 saw an extraordinary burst of creativity in all the arts which has decisively effected all subsequent developments. This lecture will look at the emergence of expressionism and amongst other artists will consider in detail the work of Nolde, Jacob Epstein and Rouault.

Distinctive Individual Visions. Wednesday, 16 November 2011 - 1:00pm: As at the end of the 18th century William Blake developed a highly individual style that did not fit easily into the categories of the age, so in our time artists like Marc Chagall, Stanley Spencer and Cecil Collins, in their very different ways, have sought to express an intense, highly personal religious vision of the world.

Catholic Elegance and Joy. Wednesday, 14 December 2011 - 1:00pm: In the period under consideration a fair number of the artists considered have been Roman Catholics, but at one time there was a particular symbiosis between two of them, Eric Gill and David Jones, who will be discussed along with others who shared their faith.

Post World War II Optimism. Wednesday, 18 January 2012 - 1:00pm: After World War II, without forgetting the terrible suffering earlier in the century, there was a new confidence expressed in the artistic commissions of the time. Older artists who had been active before World War I such as Epstein and Matisse received commissions as well as younger artists such as Graham Sutherland, known especially for his work in Coventry Cathedral, Ceri Richards and Henry Moore.

Searching for New Ways. Wednesday, 22 February 2012 - 1:00pm: From the 1960s to our own time artists who have wished to express Christian themes have explored a number of very different artistic ways of doing so. Amongst those considered in this lecture are Albert Herbert, Norman Adams, John Reilly and Craigie Aitchison.

Contemporary Christian Art. Wednesday, 21 March 2012 - 1:00pm: Contrary to much opinion, the current scene of faith-related art is very much alive. There are new commissions for churches and cathedrals, a number of artists pursue their work on the basis of a deeply convinced faith, and other artists often resonate with traditional Christian themes, albeit in a highly untraditional way. The challenge for the artist, stated in the introduction to the course of lectures above, is still very much there: how to retain artistic integrity whilst doing justice to received themes.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

King's X - Faith, Hope, Love.

No comments: