Before
You Tube, digital cameras, polaroids and box
brownies - there was the painting. For centuries it was the
main medium that captured images, whether real or imagined . It was
used to convey religious messages, to inflate the ego of the wealthy, to
express discontent with civil life and to act as a catalyst for change.
Throughout
the history of art, a number of artists have captured
my attention. Initially I was struck by the highly detailed work of the
Renaissance German painter and engraver Albrecht Dürer. Subsequently,
the vibrant and emotive work of the Impressionists and Post
Impressionists filled me with awe. Artists such as Edgar
Degas, Henri
Toulouse-Lautrec, Vincent Van Gogh and Paul Gauguin, created innovative
use of colour and pattern to give an impression of what life meant to
them. Other artists that I admire are Joan Miro , Salvador
Dali and Henri Matisse.
'Starry-Night'
- 1889
Vincent
Van Gogh
(Post
Impressionist)
Upbringing
Coming from a working class background
has its advantages. I have very little regard for status; I don't desire
wealth or possessions; I very rarely waste money on buying something for
the sake of spending and I have learnt to be resourceful.
My only sibling is ten
years older than myself, which meant my childhood within the nuclear
family was often a lonely one. I learnt to entertain myself by spending time creating things, whether this be artwork, stories or dance
routines.
I
never felt deprived in any way. My parents always tried to give me
whatever they could afford. Despite our lack of financial resources, my mother
taught me the meaning of the word generous. She has been a great
example to me of giving equitably, to which I am forever grateful.
I had been searching for the
truth about life for many years and in many ways, until God used a
singing teacher to reveal himself to me. The words of Jeremiah 29:11
proved true - "you will seek me and find me, when you seek
me with all your heart".
'The
Tree of Life' - 1909
Gustav
Klimt
(Symbolism,
Art Nouveau)
Bible
College
I initially went to college
with the understanding that I would eventually be using my creative
talents in mission work. Throughout my first year that began to change. I
began to realise a common thread that ran throughout the books, essays and
lectures that really inspired and stirred me with passion. Such things as
the 8th century prophets from the Old Testament;
Francis of Assisi; the Ana Baptists and Liberation Theology all
challenged me to be involved in justice and welfare. This passion was
further reinforced by a number of people contacts in my second year ,
namely Ash Barker,Dave Andrews
and Tim
Costello. All three helped to broaden my horizons and to see where I fitted within the
church.
A particular lecturer ,
Rikk
Watts, has remained one of the most inspirational figures in
my life. I was fortunate to be in a number of Rikk's classes, during which
he would unwrap the biblical text in such a way that left you with an 'a
ha' moment. The overwhelming feeling I experienced as I ventured
forth after each class, was that of wanting to be a better person.
Rikk was also responsible for igniting the use of symbolism in my
art. In his 'Isaiah' class we were given the freedom to use creative gifts
to produce an assignment. Hence my symbolic 'New Exodus' painting was
created.
'The
Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse' ( from the book of Revelation ) - 1498
Albrecht Dürer
(German
Renaissance)
International
Development
For
too long now our understanding of, and answers to, tackling poverty, has come from a North/West
perspective. We perceive developing countries as lacking something (usually
material, tangible items), a gap that needs to be filled. By doing this we
fail to appreciate the ingenuity, resilience, generosity and other
remarkable qualities that people of the South possess, thus denying them
of respect and dignity. We also fail to appreciate the tremendous flaws in
our own societies. In terms of spiritual and relational qualities, we are
the ones in poverty.
All societies are constantly changing and adapting
to external stimuli. Global communities are all unique and should be celebrated
as such. We need to learn from each other, for we all have
something to contribute to enrich each others' lives. Our future depends
upon it. We do not live in a vacuum, but share the same planet. What
happens to a part happens to the whole.
A
lot of damage has been done to cultures in the name of colonialisation,
modernisation, globalisation and development. There is a moral
imperative to allow the recipients of development to contribute to the
dialogue of how they would want to see their lives progressing.
But
for
any new way of thinking and subsequent action to occur, a paradigm shift needs
to happen. It has been described by Thomas Kuhn, the scientist who
first coined the phrase, as "a series of peaceful interludes
punctuated by intellectually violent revolutions...one conceptual world
view is replaced by another". It doesn't just happen,
it is driven by agents of change.
This
paradigm shift has already started as evidenced by the efforts of 'Micah
Network' along with other local and global citizen groups and
campaigns that are fostering collaboration.
ALL
IMAGES
copyright
The Artist. Other than fair and reasonable use for the purposes of
private study, research, criticism or review permitted under the Copyright
Act, no image or part thereof may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval
system, or transmitted in any form, or by any means, electronic or
mechanical, without prior written permission from the artist.
