Click on image or title to see entire exhibit
Journey of Wrestling Exhibit
wrestling: struggle with a difficulty or problem
In wrestling as to whether or not to hang an exhibit in this gallery feature tattoo artwork, I began to see more clearly how experiences, upbringing, time, culture, etc shape how we view art and its different mediums. It also lead me to ask questions like: Is the overall generation gap so large that a mixed generation church can’t overcome it? Can art become a catalyst for conversations and unity? Can people who differ in opinion within our body come together in patience and grace or will they collide disastrously? Can people take the time to understand one another by lovingly listening to each other even if they don’t agree on the topic at hand because their experiences and cultural experiences are from different ends of the spectrum?
On top of the questions and longings to see unity I am beginning to understand some of the sobering realities of being a leader. Realizing the complex needs of the body often go beyond my comprehension. The joy and challenge of inviting others into hard conversations and decisions especially when they present differing opinions than my own. And experiencing the need for courage to seek wisdom from seasoned leaders when the decision will affect an entire body of believers.
As I walked this journey, I wrestled, sought council, and ultimately made the decision to hold off on the exhibit temporarily. But during this wrestling, God opened the flood gates of creativity in a way I had not experienced before. This time, the art was a working out of the issue at hand. The need to create to understand and put order to the wrestling was overwhelming and could not be ignored. God took me to the studio and there in sometimes frantic modes of creating and other times more methodical and thought through, God brought forth in me expressions of wrestling and the beauty that can come when we choose to walk the road He laid for us even when it is difficult.
There are many black, white, and grays on this body of work as often some of our greatest struggles can be found in the “gray” areas of life and culture. But, as I learned in this process, there is great beauty in the not so black and white areas of life. There is grace to be offered and found and patience to be practiced in the middle of it all.
I hope this exhibit will help people to understand that the abstract art is a reflection of struggling to do that which God has called me to do as an artist and leader in this body of believers. I hope people will be challenged to seek God in the wrestling of their lives when things just don’t make sense. And, I hope viewers will take the time to look closely at the abstract work and contemplate the way the colors interact and that God would reveal the beauty of what can happen when we come together and discuss the hard topics together regardless of our experiences, age, or backgrounds.
Abstract art can be hard to understand, so I have included information with each work so that viewers can see how the piece played into the overall process of this journey. I’ve also included how it was created so other can see how the process of creating an abstract piece often times has more to do with its meaning than the final product.
In wrestling as to whether or not to hang an exhibit in this gallery feature tattoo artwork, I began to see more clearly how experiences, upbringing, time, culture, etc shape how we view art and its different mediums. It also lead me to ask questions like: Is the overall generation gap so large that a mixed generation church can’t overcome it? Can art become a catalyst for conversations and unity? Can people who differ in opinion within our body come together in patience and grace or will they collide disastrously? Can people take the time to understand one another by lovingly listening to each other even if they don’t agree on the topic at hand because their experiences and cultural experiences are from different ends of the spectrum?
On top of the questions and longings to see unity I am beginning to understand some of the sobering realities of being a leader. Realizing the complex needs of the body often go beyond my comprehension. The joy and challenge of inviting others into hard conversations and decisions especially when they present differing opinions than my own. And experiencing the need for courage to seek wisdom from seasoned leaders when the decision will affect an entire body of believers.
As I walked this journey, I wrestled, sought council, and ultimately made the decision to hold off on the exhibit temporarily. But during this wrestling, God opened the flood gates of creativity in a way I had not experienced before. This time, the art was a working out of the issue at hand. The need to create to understand and put order to the wrestling was overwhelming and could not be ignored. God took me to the studio and there in sometimes frantic modes of creating and other times more methodical and thought through, God brought forth in me expressions of wrestling and the beauty that can come when we choose to walk the road He laid for us even when it is difficult.
There are many black, white, and grays on this body of work as often some of our greatest struggles can be found in the “gray” areas of life and culture. But, as I learned in this process, there is great beauty in the not so black and white areas of life. There is grace to be offered and found and patience to be practiced in the middle of it all.
I hope this exhibit will help people to understand that the abstract art is a reflection of struggling to do that which God has called me to do as an artist and leader in this body of believers. I hope people will be challenged to seek God in the wrestling of their lives when things just don’t make sense. And, I hope viewers will take the time to look closely at the abstract work and contemplate the way the colors interact and that God would reveal the beauty of what can happen when we come together and discuss the hard topics together regardless of our experiences, age, or backgrounds.
Abstract art can be hard to understand, so I have included information with each work so that viewers can see how the piece played into the overall process of this journey. I’ve also included how it was created so other can see how the process of creating an abstract piece often times has more to do with its meaning than the final product.