Where Would Jesus Live - City or Suburbs?

I drove to the Delaware beach for the Memorial Day holiday. And as you could guess the traffic was terrible. High gas prices didn't stop the masses from traveling.

About 2 hours into the trip I needed a break, as I could feel my road rage starting to overflow, or maybe that was just the sweat from my back. Either way I saw a Starbucks sign and exited at Middletown, Delaware.

Middletown used to be farm land, but not anymore. The major thoroughfare that was formerly used for transporting farm goods is now lined with strip malls, and beyond the strip malls endless housing developments. Everything looks the same - large single homes with beige siding and a 2 car garage. The supposed American dream.

Before I go any further I need to disclose something, I despise the suburbs. Not all suburbs, but the one's that resemble an Andy Warhol. (Imagine the painting below with houses in place of Marilyn Monroe) Every time I see those type of suburbs I get a vomiting sensation like when I drank cough syrup as a kid.

Allow me to ask a few questions to illustrate my point. Why do bakers use cookie cutters? Because it's easy and uniform. What do you think of when you see a tray of cookie cut cookies? Probably, yummy I'm ready to eat. I bet you never looked at a cookie produced from a cookie cutter and pondered the artwork. You didn't because it is not awe inspiring.

Now imagine a handmade cookie plopped onto a cookie tray in an array of unique shapes. The handmade cookies are not only more delicious then the cookie cut ones, but also possess more of an artistic form. No right minded cookie eater would ever choose a cookie cut cookie over a handmade cookie, because the latter is superior in both taste and asthetics. Let's bring our cookie logic to houses.

Our houses should be unique in a way that reflects God. He created man and woman uniquely in His own image. When we demonstrate our uniqueness we glorify him, even in the design of our houses.

In closing, Where would Jesus live - the suburbs or the city? (I ask that in a joking manner) Let's not become overly spiritual about where we should live. One living environment isn't innately better then another, even though I live in the city and prefer the city. But our living environment should reflect the God who made the heavens and stars, not a tray of uniformed cookies.

Getting Frank About Frida Kahlo

The above painting greeted me as I stepped foot in the Frida Kahlo exhibit at the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

My initial reaction to attending the exhibit was - yeahh sure, I'll go. Who are we going to see again? I wasn't that excited, but my attitude changed as I looked at the first painting. I was no longer there just because. I was engaged. I'm not sure what flipped the switch for me. It could have been Frida's bold stare, those little animals on her shoulders, or the necklace piercing her skin. I became excited to see the rest of her work.

I didn't know much about Frida prior to the exhibit, except for her name as a pop culture reference and that famous uni-brow. This exhibit changed that. It included over 40 original works of art from 1926 - 1954 (the year of her death). There were also 100's of photographs taken of Frida, often accompanied with her lover and acclaimed muralist Diego Rivera.

Three things stuck out to me - the vivid colors, graphic symbolism, and extensive self examination. The colors seemed to jump off of the page. They were bright, bold, and energetic. Still Life with Parrot and Fruit (1951) (see below) is a great example.

Surrealistic symbolism was also apparent in many paintings such as Henry Ford Hospital (1932). This painting shows Frida lying on an operating table with internal organs removed from her body. One of those items was a fetus, the reason she was in the hospital. It represents her inability to have children.

The third feature that I appreciated was her continual self examination. She obsessed with how others viewed her, and her own self perception. At first, I thought - get over yourself and start illustrating some important stuff. Enough of the head shots. But as the portraits continued, it showed her serious approach to self discovery and I began to understand.

The Frida exhibit, celebrating the 100th anniversary of her birth, is no longer at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. However, I would encourage everyone to spend some time viewing her artwork. There is a reason for her prominence in the modern art community.

To clarify, I respect Frida's artistic abilities, but I do not agree with all of her lifestyle or art decisions. She committed open affairs within her marriage, which is clearly against God's commands. Many of her artworks also lacked redeeming values. They did not provide a hope that the Gospel brings.

But I do think her art made significant developments. Anyone that denies that is missing the big picture. She progressed the experimentation of previously accepted art forms with her self portraits, colors, and surrealistic themes. At the same time she gave women a powerful voice that often originated from her emotional and physical struggles.

Frida's content didn't always reflect the true character of God, but her artistic talent did.

What do you think?

Can We Escape Art?

No.

Art is inescapable - all around us, all the time.

We can't get rid of it. Take a look around your room. See that lamp, that blanket, the location of that table. They are all art. When you went to Home Depot to pick out the paint color for your family room, you made an artistic decision.

Check out Susan Thomas' blog entry My 8 to 5. Her simple work cubicle turned into her work of art. She selected her favorite quotes to cover the walls. The quotes were printed in varying font styles, sizes, and paper shapes. Even the way the post it notes were organized on her wall had form, and thus of artistic nature. She selected that candy bowl, because she liked the form. And that snazzy "Easy" button. It doesn't serve any purpose, except for decoration, style - an artistic touch.

We cannot escape art or the forms surrounding us. The only question is if we will appreciate the many artistic decisions that we and others make, and then pursue excellence in the arts. Whether it be orchestrating flowers for a vase, picking a frame for a picture, or the right word in a poem.

You are an artist.