J. Gordon Anderson - Contemporary Art

An excellent article in the Wall Street Journal about art ownership, preservation, and the conflicts that can arise between the artist and the purchaser of art. I think these sorts of conflicts affect those whose art is more in the realm of "untraditional" - i.e. installation artists, sculptors who employ lots of found object, and so on. But even straight painters deal with this stuff from time to time. Having had at least one mural destroyed (I will never paint another mural again, by the way), I can sympathize with some of the concerns in this article. It can happen to anyone, including great and famous artists (such as Diego Rivera, for example).

We artists have to be excellent time managers, mainly because most of us pursue our craft as a side job. After working at the "day job", most people go home and veg out. But the artist can do no such thing. He must work on his a little bit craft every day, so he has to come up with a strict schedule and routine to make this happen. This is the case with all serious artists I think. Andy Warhol was known for following a very rigid daily schedule and working well into early evening. As responsibilities multiply, the need for making and following a schedule, and thinking through the artistic process, becomes even more critical. The ultimate game-changer as far as scheduling goes is having children. We just had our first child and this throws a wrench - a good one! - in everything. Something similar happened when I got married and lost my art studio in Baltimore City a number of years ago. I could not paint in oils in our small apartment, so that was when I got into egg tempera ...

While I appreciate the rediscovery and appreciation of traditional forms and approaches to art that are out there today with regard to sacred art I am somewhat troubled by the underlying message of some of the proponents of this type of art: namely that neo-Baroque, or neo-classical art and techniques are the best, and that anything modern or abstract is somehow lacking or unsuitable for sacred applications. Some of the greatest sacred art in the western world is in fact very abstract... abstract in the sense of not being representational but not realistic. The flat picture plane of many a painting by Fra Angelico, and the strange perspective of the works of Duccio have much in common stylistically with 20th century masters such as Ben Shahn. Those who think that traditional liturgical or sacred art must be neo-Baroque or neo-Classical are mistaken. The reality is that "modern" art can be used in any liturgical context and blend right in, as in this video of a Carmelite Mass ...

One of the major differences between being an artist and a priest - specifically the pastor of a parish - is that success as an artist is easily measurable and depends almost entirely on me, whereas success in the ministry is not so easily measurable and depends a great deal on other people. This latter fact is what makes the ministry so incredibly frustrating and even unfulfilling at times.

I am currently working on a large oil painting of the Coronation of the Virgin . It will compliment some of the other large religious oils I have done recently ( Annunciation, Virgin and Child Enthroned with Saints, Baptism of Christ , etc.). Although these large paintings containing religious subject matter are notoriously difficult to sell, I find myself compelled to paint them from time to time largely, I suppose, for personal devotional reasons. They are a way for me to explore and somehow involve myself in the mystery of the event. But I also like to paint them for artistic reasons. Most of the great artists in the western tradition have painted religious subject matter, and I think every artist who wants to be a serious artist should attempt to tackle the great religious themes that have defined our culture (e.g. shown above is one of Andy Warhol's "Last Supper" paintings).

One of the greatest learning experiences of my life (in a variety of ways) was serving as a sales representative for a major stained glass studio out of the midwest. For a few years I represented the studio in the Baltimore and Washington, selling new stained glass and stained glass restoration for churches, universities, businesses, and homes. I even worked with clients at the beginning stages of projects designing windows, which designs were later given the studio's production guy to come up with an actual "cartoon" (the proposed layout of the window). We also made mosaics, doors and window frames, and even some furniture (the studio had a fully equipped wood shop with expert craftsmen on staff). Besides learning about how stained glass is made, cared for, and restored, I learned something of what goes into having a modern day ecclesiastical art studio. I would recommend that any artist who wants to start a major studio try to work with an existing one so he can see how...

There will be a show of my work at the Mauldin Cultural Center from July 1st to about July 16th. This is the cultural center's very first fine art exhibit, so it is quite an honor. The show will consist of about fifteen cityscapes. Do stop by and see it if you are in the area!