The recent YouTube clip denigrating Muhammed can’t really be called art or legitimate film in my opinion, but the questions surrounding it about responsibility are particularly interesting to me.
What is the responsibility of the artist? I do not believe that artists are required to serve the public good nor are they required to concern themselves with intentions of eliciting or avoiding certain responses from their audience. That kind of work can quickly become propaganda. However, I do believe very strongly that artists are responsible to and for their work.
Lisa Cole Smith
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I think this question of responsibility is of particular importance to artists of faith and the communities to which they belong because we do seek to glorify God through all of our works (including artistic). Yet we cannot (and must not) ignore the parameters which govern good art. To do so is to undercut the fullness of the gift God has given us in the arts.
First, artists have a responsibility to their craft. “Craft” in this sense means the disciplines which make doing the thing possible. A dancer must regularly take the place at the barre, stretching, practicing and building muscle, stamina and flexibility. A visual artist practices drawing, shading and mixing color. Musicians do vocal exercises and practice breathing. In fact, the more professional they are, the more likely they are to have disciplined routines for practicing their craft. These are the tools that must become second nature in order to see their vision realized.
Second, artists are responsible to their vision. Whatever name, shape or form the muse comes in, artists are inspired by something. It may be the way the light is falling on the living room rug or notes playing in their head, but no matter what the form, it is imperative for an artist to be true to that thing that wants to be birthed. This can become difficult especially for artists who become successful in some form or another. It is often tempting to be more faithful to what “works.” Often what works is what was popular in the past, what makes money or what is easily accessible by an audience.
But an artist is gifted with vision and it is the calling of an artist to be responsible to that vision. The artist is tasked with bringing forth whatever truth is percolating inside him or her with as much integrity as possible, especially when one believes creative impulse comes from God. Sometimes we are successful and sometimes we are not. That is part of the process. This is also why it is so important to practice our craft. The more skilled we are at using our tools the easier the process of bringing forth the work.
Third, it is the responsibility of the artist to honor the integrity of the audience’s response. By that I mean that an artist must allow the audience the freedom to respond in whatever way it deems necessary. If not, the audience’s response can become a competitor with vision for ultimate control of the work. It is often easier said than done to remain focused. Most artists long for the freedom not to care about the response of those who will see, hear or read their work but have to fight hard to drown out perceived and real expectations. If they are unable to do so they run the risk of becoming stale and disillusioned. Also, paying too close attention to the needs and preferences of the audience or creating works specifically geared to satisfy expectations can become manipulative.
As artists of faith there is another responsibility that informs our work and that is to bring glory to God. How can we ensure that we are faithful both to our artistic vision and God’s will and that the two don’t conflict? In my opinion it is imperative to good Christian art to maintain all of the above responsibilities. Deviating from them results in art that is not only poor quality or manipulative but also lacks integrity and therefore cannot glorify God by its nature.
Yet it is possible to do work that serves the Creator and the vision. This comes not from concern with audience response but from what Jacques Martain called “purifying the source.” The artist who is a Christian is required also to practice spiritual disciplines. By training our will towards God’s our source of inspiration is changed. Our work still may not be well accepted, but it may be prophetic and prayerful — regardless of its final form.
Like everything else in life, trying to control the outcome is futile. Only by surrendering every part of ourselves to God in a way that changes us can we hope to produce fruit of any kind that is pleasing to God.
Lisa Cole Smith ([email protected]) is pastor of Convergence: A Creative Community of Faith, a Baptist congregation in Alexandria, Va.