Narthex Artworks

Art is not just about symbolism. Often the materials and the process which make up the work speak as much if not more than the imagery it contains. That was certainly the case for us. We began with a plan and biblical iconography, but the profound experience of collaborating over an intense 18 hours period held the richest meaning for us. Art is often a solitary affair. Working in community to offer up our artistic experience as a gift to Redeemer was deeply moving and taught us a great deal about what it means to live as part of the church body. In the following post we attempt to describe some of that experience with you in the hopes that it enriches your sense of the beauty of the bride of Christ.

The four of us--Kateri Gill, Bailey Hughes, Jacob Rowan, and Alli Smith--created these three panels on September 24th and 25th of 2021. Redeemer Community Arts had previously inquired about the possibility of hanging artwork in the Narthex. After a brief conversation during which we considered finding works produced by outside artists, we decided that we wanted to create something specifically for this space and the Redeemer community. We planned an “artists’ retreat” where we could devote our complete attention to making work together over a condensed period of time. To gain insight we sought out members of Redeemer and had many fruitful conversations about their experience of worship, biblical principles guiding how we gather as a body, and their sensory impressions and memories of the narthex and sanctuary. 

The Process 

On Friday the 24th the four of us met for dinner. We’ve known each other for a while, but it was helpful to start with this time of fellowship where we could share our hopes and fears for the project. After dinner we did a variety of creative exercises to get used to working together and to generate some ideas for processes and imagery. The exercise was fun, but it was followed by an almost overwhelming paralysis about how to start on these intimidatingly large panels. We talked, sketched, and manipulated materials and then suddenly everything became more clear. It felt like a gift from God. We had a plan and we left that evening full of excitement. All of us had trouble sleeping that night.

We returned Saturday morning with coffee and a great deal of optimism. We would like to point out that we couldn’t have done this without help. Quita Sauerwein graciously prepared breakfast, lunch, and dinner for us so we could give our complete attention to finishing these panels in time. We invited several other Redeemer members to join us for lunch so they could share their thoughts with us. Working in this way was completely new to us and we realized how vulnerable it can be to ask for feedback mid-process. How could we explain these unfinished images? What kind of help were we looking for? Despite this difficulty we ended lunch greatly encouraged and with a renewed energy to finish the day. 

We worked frenetically, each experiencing moments of both doubt and epiphany.  In the last few hours, the four of us all worked together on the largest piece.  We managed to finish all three pieces by 10pm. It’s difficult to describe the mental and physical exhaustion alongside the almost out-of-body experience of looking at finished images that no one person planned. Somehow we had accomplished this monumental  task of making three large paintings in a single weekend (something which would have been impossible alone). The four of us acknowledged that the Spirit had been with us, involved in the process. 

We would like to share a brief and more personal experience about each of the three pieces.

As Many As You Find

“Go therefore to the main roads and invite to the wedding feast as many as you find.” Matthew 22:9

“He will raise a signal for the nations and will assemble the banished of Israel, and gather the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth.” Isaiah 11:12

“It was granted her to clothe herself with fine linen, bright and pure”—for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints.” Revelation 19:8

In this piece, we wove fabric dye, diverse groupings of patterns, found materials, and vibrant colors into a matrix of shape and color. We hope this tapestry-like image pulses with the vibrancy of peoples gathered from the four corners of the earth for the wedding feast of the lamb.

All I did was the background…

It can be difficult working with others on a project. Whether it’s participating in a ministry, singing in choir, or making a painting with three other people it’s easy to lose your voice or to see the end result and think “that’s not how I would have done that.” When I look back on this painting it’s hard for me to see what I added other than the background. I was involved at every step of the process, but I often felt paralyzed and unsure how to respond to what my friends were making. If I think about how I would make a work of art to invite others into worship this is not what it would look like. The frantic pace needed to complete this in time didn’t match my usual approach to making. I felt like my strengths weren’t needed or I wasn’t strong in the ways I should have been. Yet my friend working next to me felt like they had never been able to give such a personal aspect of their being in the service of the church. It brings me joy to reflect on that. 

Collaborative making is an exercise in mutual submission. There is a particular kind of joy that comes from laying down oneself for another, but often it can feel like there is no place for you to have a voice. Perhaps this is one reason diversity is so difficult. Certain environments are more conducive to particular kinds of voices. It takes a lot of wisdom and effort to make space for others to not only feel heard but to feel valued. At the same time, even when it feels like I’m just adding to the background, when I’m just another voice contributing to the sound of the choir, the experience can be rich. Something bigger than me is going on here--God’s power being made perfect in my weakness. Life together is complicated, but we can grow in trusting that we are called by God to be part of a body of all kinds of people, all for our ultimate good and for his glory.

Songs of Ascent

“I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come?…” Psalm 121

“I was glad when they said to me, ‘Let us go to the house of the Lord!’…” Psalm 122

In this piece we used spray paint, collaged elements, and children’s drawings to create a cacophony of colors and textures. The total effect draws our eyes upwards as we consider ascending towards our eternal home. We hope this calls to mind the joyous psalms of ascent which reminded the Jews of God’s faithfulness as they traveled up to Jerusalem to celebrate the various festivals. 

Past mistakes and the hope of exuberant chaos…

We worked on this piece all morning, but something was just off about it. Giving up wasn’t an option, but change was needed. On a whim, and 30 minutes before the other Redeemer members scheduled to join us for lunch, we painted over everything we had done. We didn’t obliterate the past mistakes. They remained visible through the semi-opaque layer of paint, but we had made room for a change. It was difficult to share work with so little resolved. Yet, we were renewed by the conversations over lunch and afterwards two of us took it outside. It can feel paralyzing trying to make the “best” choice, but with the previous encouragement in our minds we leaned into that exuberant, vibrant chaos of possibility and magic happened. There was still a lot to do, but in just 30 intense minutes of spray painting and collaging elements we’d found our vision again, along with a renewed sense of energy. This piece diverged the most from our initial plan. That’s a frightening, but exhilarating, place to be. Instead of imposing our will, we found something good by showing up and loving the mess. We were reminded that God’s plans far exceed and excel our own.

Come

“Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and he who has no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price…” Isaiah 55

“He said to them, ‘Come and you will see.’ So they came and saw where he was staying, and they stayed with him that day, for it was about the tenth hour.” John 1:39

While the other two pieces are horizontal, the vertical of this composition stands out as a beacon of clarity. The steeple, faint ladder, and city imagery dissolve behind the protruding element containing an entrance or a grave. Surrender becomes our point of access. Christ calls and we follow. 

It just kind of worked…

There’s nothing dramatic or particularly exciting to say about this process by which we made this piece. It just kind of worked. Which was a blessing because all of our energy had gone into the two larger panels. Our initial composition (the image of a steeple) had a simplicity that allowed all of us to add our contributions without much doubt or struggle. It felt as if all the effort of the two larger pieces bore fruit in this simple moment of clarity. This moment of rest and simplicity reminded us that sometimes God says it’s not by your power or effort that my victories are won. 

Come to me all who are weary and I will give you rest.

—Kateri Gill, Bailey Hughes, Jacob Rowan, and Alli Smith