Mormonism and the arts

[Guest]

Could you expand on that?

Yeah. I could. At considerable length and with a wealth of examples.

This interests me. My wife and I, though scarcely wealthy, have even commissioned a few paintings and two very serious musical compositions.

[_Quasimodo]

I do think it's an interesting topic, but -- and I'm being quite honest -- I don't think that a serious conversation on it is possible here.

Too bad.

I'm far from uncritical on the topic of Mormonism and the arts, and it's a topic that interests me very much. I don't think the situation is as bad as some here seek to portray, but I'm not even remotely content with it, either.

There has been, and continues to be, some good Mormon art, and a lot of very bad Mormon art, in all categories.

Think, too, about apologists who have been going around posting only negative reviews of the "Book of Mormon" musical. It's a form of closed-mindedness and it's really unfortunate.

Which, of course, means that you're supposed to think about me.

Scratch almost always brings every conversation around to me eventually.

A few years ago, he was even lamenting my conventional, conformist, unadventurous, hyper-orthodox, middle-brow, vanilla sensibilities in literature, art, music, and film -- despite the fact that he actually knows little or nothing about what those tastes are.

I'm just generally bad.

We could try an experiment! Why not just ignore any off hand, derogatory comments and just reply to the posts that are germane to the subject?

Maybe a lesson could be learned by all.

[_Hoops]

Is that because in order to be a good artist you have to push boundaries, and boundary pushing is a no-no for active Mormons? Would an artistic mind find Mormonism too constraining?

Thoughts?

I'm not sure I can agree with this. Nor am I sure I can not. I would offer that protestant denominations and LDS don't have much of an artistic footprint anywhere. I find no great literature in particular, and certainly no visual art that is compelling. OTH, the Catholic church has given us amazing, grand, significant, and poignant art - all- most? - with out necessarily pushing boundaries.

[_Quasimodo]

I'm not sure I can agree with this. Nor am I sure I can not. I would offer that protestant denominations and LDS don't have much of an artistic footprint anywhere. I find no great literature in particular, and certainly no visual art that is compelling. OTH, the Catholic church has given us amazing, grand, significant, and poignant art - all- most? - with out necessarily pushing boundaries.

Renaissance art is what I'm guessing you're speaking to, here. Some of it is monumental (Raphael, Michelangelo, da Vinci, etc). For me, the "greats" put more into their art than just visual descriptions. The characters in their paintings (or sculpture) are alive in their expressions and actions. More than just in the sum of their parts.

Like the characters in a Shakespeare play, they are human and they live beyond the roles they are portraying.

[_stemelbow]

Mormonism epitomizes art. To say otherwise is to not get art.

[_Quasimodo]

Mormonism epitomizes art. To say otherwise is to not get art.

Hi Stem. I hope you are joking. Not even you could believe this.

[_stemelbow]

Of course I was joking. You are here talking to perhaps one of the least qualified people to comment on the arts. Thanks.

Not even you could believe this.

Sure I could. People have told me I could believe anything.

[_Joseph]

peter-san wrote: "There has been, and continues to be, some good Mormon art,"
***************************

Do you mean good art done by people who happen to be Mormons, or good Mormons who try to be artists? They are not the same.

[_Quasimodo]

Of course I was joking. You are here talking to perhaps one of the least qualified people to comment on the arts. Thanks.

Not even you could believe this.

Sure I could. People have told me I could believe anything.

Everyone is qualified to have an opinion on the arts! I reserve the right to disagree sometimes :).

Considering your background, I think you do a pretty good job in selecting what you will believe.

[_RAJ]

I've always found this passage from the Ostling's book "Mormon America" to be interesting and largely accurate.

"A characteristically literal turn of mind combined with dogmatic Mormon ideals and a certain cultural isolation results in a highly sentimentalized art. In Mormonism, art is confused with propaganda, never with a quest; preconceived answers precede questions. In Mormon culture art is inspiration or entertainment, not exploration. As a result, Mormons, like those in some other American sectarian groups-are largely absent from the highest levels of achievement in the fine arts, literature, and the humanities in general."

Its a few years old, so I look forward to an exception arising at some time in the future.

ETA: Ostling does go on to to mention History as a notable exception for Mormons He mentions great achievement in this area, if I recall correctly..