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1

The Holy in Art. Reminiscences

100%

Leeuw v. d. G.

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2007

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vol. 61

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issue 2(277)

93-97

EN

The presented fragments come from the second chapter of 'Sacred and Profane Beauty. The Holy in Art', a book by the acclaimed Dutch phenomenologist. The whole text has been already published in 'Konteksty' more than ten years ago but owing to the importance of author's reflections for the activity of the Schola of the Wegajty Theatre it was decided to reprint it again, this time in an abbreviated version. In the cited fragments the author followed closely the differences, similarities, and tension between art and religion. In doing so, he portrayed the sacral hinterland of drama and the European theatre. His highly erudite remarks indicate a number of essential religious and symbolic contexts for understanding the role and function of liturgical drama.

2

ON THE BEAUTY OF THE VIRGIN MARY: 'FAMILIARITY' OF FORM AND VALORIZATION OF RELIGIOUS IMAGES (O urodzie Matki Boskiej: 'oswojenie' formy a waloryzacja przedstawien religijnych)

70%

Klekot E.

Ikonotheka

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2008

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vol. 21

213-224

EN

Modernity has developed complex mechanisms of esthetic valorization, based on formal and artistic qualities judged by the taste. However, as Pierre Bourdieu has shown in his studies, the judgment of taste is in fact the main modern means for social differentiation. At the same time, according to David Freedberg, these mechanisms obscure the inborn human attitude towards images which consists of mixing up the represented with the representation, and subsequently prevent modern educated audiences from natural response to the images classified as art. Modern perception of religious imagery can be a sensitive example of a field where the classificatory role of the esthetic judgment is particularly well visible because the religious purpose of an image calls both for different hierarchy of values than the one found in the modern field of art, and different image ontology. The article is based on field material consisting of in-depth interviews with Catholic believers, conducted in Wesola near Warsaw, and three major pilgrimage sites of Poland: Czestochowa, Lichen and Kalwaria Paclawska. Wesola was chosen because of the outstanding decoration of its parish church of Divine Providence, executed by a modern painter from Cracow, Jerzy Nowosielski and highly appreciated by art critics and specialists. However, the style of decoration proved very unfamiliar and strange for the local believers. The article attempts to show the hierarchy of values used by the believers towards the religious images, and then to explain this hierarchy both in terms of Joanna Tokarska-Bakir's interpretation of image ontology in so-called 'folk piety'. In spite of similar understanding of image ontology apparently shared by the artist and the believers, social distinction made by the mechanisms of esthetic judgment resulted in form unfamiliar to them and lack of appreciation of the work.

3

RELATIONSHIPS OF ART AND RELIGION IN LATVIAN WRITING ON ART IN THE 1ST HALF OF THE 20TH CENTURY (Makslas un religijas attiecibu aspekti latviesu autoru teoretiskajas atzinas 20. gs. pirmaja puse)

61%

Pelse S.

Materiali Latvijas makslas vesturei

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2008

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vol. 7

155-165

EN

Relationships, connections and contradictions concerning art and religion create a broad field of research focused on the gradual emancipation of various spheres of human activity (science, philosophy, history, art) from the medieval subservient status in respect to religion. The official doctrine of the Soviet period was overtly atheistic, criticising 'religious mysticism' of Latvian artwriting of the interwar period, easily fusing this component with other misguided traits, like bourgeois nationalism, idealism and fascist ideology. In fact, the scattered reflections on art and religion contain both attempts to identify and distinguish these spheres as well as different ideas as to what forms are suitable for expression of a religious message. Unlike in the neighbouring Catholic Lithuania, Christian religion was not so deep-seated in Latvian culture; interpretations of culture and art from the viewpoint of natural sciences, Marxism and Leo Tolstoy's apology of art's usefulness grew more prominent in the early 20th century. Still echoes of neo-romanticist symbolism and aestheticism, treating art as a kind of religion of the present can be viewed in this context, most clearly expressed in the so-called decadent manifesto of 1906. The most developed reflections on this subject are found in Latvian artist and theoretician Teodors Uders' letters where he reflected on the existence of God, finding Benedict Spinoza's pantheism most adequate to his own intuitions. The subject of art and religion increased in importance in 1920s and especially 1930s, responding to the current need for ideological consolidation. The common stance was rather negative towards the traditional Christianity and church as an institution - art should in principle be akin to religion but not in the sense of a traditional sacred art, rather extolling some ideal authority and meaningful message. Three points of intersection between art and religion can be detected in this period. Firstly, these are influences received by art historians, philosophers etc.; secondly, the impact of Theosophy; thirdly, promotion of Latvian national religion dievturiba (God Keeping or God Worshipping).

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1 Ikonotheka

1 Konteksty - Polska Sztuka Ludowa

1 Materiali Latvijas makslas vesturei

1 Klekot E.

1 Leeuw v. d. G.

1 Pelse S.

2 2008

1 2007

The Holy in Art. Reminiscences

ON THE BEAUTY OF THE VIRGIN MARY: 'FAMILIARITY' OF FORM AND VALORIZATION OF RELIGIOUS IMAGES (O urodzie Matki Boskiej: 'oswojenie' formy a waloryzacja przedstawien religijnych)

RELATIONSHIPS OF ART AND RELIGION IN LATVIAN WRITING ON ART IN THE 1ST HALF OF THE 20TH CENTURY (Makslas un religijas attiecibu aspekti latviesu autoru teoretiskajas atzinas 20. gs. pirmaja puse)