August 16, 2016 Here’s a photo of a painting at the Phoenix Art Museum: Like all modern art, it invites thought. What is the connection between “oiled” and “dead”? Is it statement about the way in which a piece of art, once painted (“oiled”), becomes something fixed (“dead”)? If so, what at what point is … More Writing and death (Modern Art and the Bible 5)
July 29, 2016 Phoenix’s Art Museum has a set of photographs (I forgot to note the artist’s name), showing tree roots and their effects on sidewalks. They provide a great illustration for all sorts of themes–the power of nature vs. human artifice, the ultimate destruction of all things human, even plate techtonics. This one … More Textual Surface and the Bible’s Underground (Modern Art and the Bible 4)
July 22, 2016 Here is a panel from Liliana Porter’s painting, The Traveler (currently housed in the Phoenix Art Museum). It depicts a small ship on the edge of a mostly gray surface. It moves from the center to the periphery–a movement of ec-centricity. Are we to think of this movement as one of danger, … More Modern Art and the Bible (3)
July 19, 2016 Another report on modern art and its lessons for biblical interpretation. This painting is named, “Shaking Out the Bed.” It shows household items being flung up toward the viewer as a bed-sheet is shaken; there are also items lying on tables and the floor around the edges. The painting is thus a … More Modern Art and the Bible (II)
July 15, 2016 I’m in Phoenix and visited the Phoenix Art Museum. I was struck by the points of contact between modern/contemporary art and biblical interpretation. So, here is the first in a series of very short comments on some pieces of art and some thoughts about interpretation. Here’s a piece, Tumbling Forms. What struck me … More Modern Art and the Bible (I)
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