#33 Culture, Art, and our Religion
Written by Elliott and Darren Ho
The cultures of the authors Garcia-Rivera (Rivera) and González-Andrieu (Andrieu) are different from the culture that I (Elliott) find in many ways. Both Rivera and Andrieu hale from Cuba. They have both ended up in America at some point. Likely, the reason for immigration or relocation to the USA is existential and practical. The realization of freedom, exploration of life in Christ and maturing in the truth of the Gospel.
The practice for religion is diametrically different in America from Cuba. Most Cubans are either Atheists or Catholic. While in America, most people are protestant. When I go to Church, I see blank walls and a refrained service. In contrast, Rivera and Andrieu in Cuba would see a Church full of light and colour in its stained glass. Rivera and Andrieu's experiences in America are ones of trying to find an identity. Either as an American or as a Cuban. In some ways, they have lived double lives. There is no pressure on me (Elliott) to be anything but an American. Similarly for me (Darren), I attest to living fully identified as an “American” most of my life. There wasn't’ any dualism or pressure to be anything else. However, upon immigrating to other countries, being American and Christian brought more pressures live up to the stereotypes, only to realise I never upheld them. Thus, the beginnings of a “dual-life” began.
I (Darren) am a first-generation born American, of Asian immigrants who have experienced post World War 2 oppression. Both my grandparents were community leaders persecuted by the Japanese. My father is a creative artist, industrial designer and dreamed about freely expressing himself in the USA of the 1960s. My mother was considered a triple minority (woman, Chinese and non-muslim) in her country, The Sultanate of Brunei. She dreamed of becoming a medical professional in a place that would accept her for her intellect and less about her religious views. I can imagine that my parents, immigrated to America, represented similar possibilities that Garcia-Rivera and Gonzales-Andrieu also imagined.
Art is a way of the revelation of the Gospel's place in humanity, and Jesus' work for our salvation. In reflection of both author's work, it has become more evident that experiencing art with sound theology, naturally leads us to a practical theology response. A specific example is Andrieu's interlacing method (Andrieu 133) to approaching art and religion is a collaborative approach that leans on both aesthetic and practical use. She proposes some fundamental design thinking here. The Golden Gate's function can make it art that reveals the beauty and functional, not just theoretical. What goes into creating art is essential as the final product and beyond, how the community perceives its truth.
Half of my (Darren) professional career, all of my married family life has been as an expatriate. I have survived, not understanding local languages relying on symbols, gestures and some words. The migration/immigration proved to help me become closer to the Lord through understanding how His culture reigns supreme above national, political and ethnic and language culture. The symbols of Christ, his culture, are revealed more brilliantly through architecture and artwork in various forms in every nation. Perhaps only now as I have returned to the USA; have I realized or missed the opportunity to engage with the arts more purposefully. The idea of wandering further into theological aesthetics with a scholarship through this course has heightened my own asombrado experiences. This course is creating an opportunity to further articulate the expatriate season with a fresh approach to my faith's growing theology and practices.
