Boxer And Saints Essay

Is Boxers & Saints Good Christian Art?

Franky Schaeffer states that “the arts… are the root of all ideas, and ideas are the foundation on which history is built” (Schaeffer 18). In Piero della Francesca's 15th century painting, The Resurrection, the figure of Jesus stands in the center of the frame overwhelming the viewer, forcing him or her to pay heed to the artwork. The painting portrays Jesus draped in a red cloth, standing majestically over four sleeping soldiers outside his tomb and displays the traditional symbols of Christianity such as Jesus, his pierced side, a halo, and a cross shape. Some would call this painting an obvious piece of good Christian art, but what makes a piece of Christian art good or bad, and in fact, what makes any art good or bad? Boxer & Saints, a graphic novel about the Boxer uprising in China by Gene Luen Yang contains Christian symbols such as a conversion, discussion of Christians, persecution for faith, crucifixes, and churches, but is it good Christian art? To effectively decide if a piece of art classifies as “good,” “bad,” or “Christian,” the viewer must evaluate the work of art according to a set of criteria. Regarded as good Christian art, Boxers & Saints displays technical mastery throughout, handles the story in an authentic manner, prompts the reader to think, and possesses the truth of a Christian worldview.

Criteria of Good Christian Art
When approaching a piece of good Christian art, the viewer assumes there is a purpose behind it.

Schaeffer says that man's expression of creativity and means of communication require no justification, neither spiritual or utilitarian justification, just acceptance for what they are (Schaeffer “Addicted” 16). Any form of expression does not need explanation, but when discussing good art, it must contain a level of technical excellence, authenticity, thought-provoking content, and, for Christian art, biblical

truth.
Technical Mastery
Good Christian art must exhibit a higher level of technical mastery overall, including presenting the message to the audience clearly. In his essay “Perspective on Art,” Francis Schaeffer identifies four basic standards involved in judging art, listing technical excellence as one of the top criteria for good art (“Perspectives” 38). Technique is the skills and abilities that an artist possess. Good artists pay attention to technique and maintain a high standard of work to guarantee the understanding of the artwork's message. Daniel Taylor says that good Christian art portrays a high level of technique that “sets them apart and makes us treasure them” and when discussing literary art, the writer can “shape words into realities that compel belief and action” (411).
Along with having an elevated level of excellence, good art's technique has the ability to strengthen and reinforce the intended message. Taylor says that the “skillful use of language allows the writer to create… 'a fictional dream' with authenticating detail” (411-412). Techniques that the artist employ are vessels for the message. Francis Schaeffer states the choice of technique can either help or hurt the message (“Art” 55). Elements such as composition and color enable a painter to successfully convey the feeling or message behind their work. For example, the artist may use brighter colors for happiness while darker colors for sadness. All artists generally have the same tools to use and mix them to attain the highest level of excellence through both form and content.
Authenticity
Along with possessing technical mastery, good Christian art must depict the reality of the human experience. Taylor said that a story “reveals and explores our humanity” (416). Clyde Kilby states that great art encompasses content from the past, present, and future to help man understand himself (11), it gathers insight and knowledge from all of time. When an artist creates a work of art, it contains his or her worldview, so when a Christian artist creates art it contains a Christian worldview. Good Christian art “is the expression of the whole life of the whole person who is a Christian. What a Christian artist portrays is the totality of life” (Schaeffer “Perspectives” 46). Many Christian artists, especially writers, tend to avoid the gruesome, terrible side of life. This habit creates “safe” and “nice” stereotypes that adhere to all art with the label “Christian.” This idea of sticking with “nice” and “safe” writing finds no foundation or support from the Bible. The Left behind series has often been classified as “safe” literature and is ridiculed for not handling the true emotions and nature of the human life.
Christian artists should use the Bible as an example when choosing content since it discusses the grotesque, the earthly, and damnation. For example in Judges, Jael drives a stake through Sisera's head, an horrific event that most Christian literature does not contain. Marcia Eaton states that “Artists should give us more than “pretty pictures” if they are to have any real relevance to the human experience” (73). Good Christian art embraces human depravity, not shying away from helping the world to understand itself. Take for example Dorothea Lange's work as a photographer. Many of her photographs were taken during the Great Depression, a time of despair and confusion, and it can be seen through her photos and the use of contrasting black and white, capturing the raw emotion in taunt, tired facial expressions. Unfortunately, many artists, in trying to stay within a genre or style of art, reject reality and create work that gives off a false reality. Speaking against false realities found in art, Von Ogden Vogt says “Art is not something detached from life; it makes life and is made by it.” (10). This idea of portraying true human experience does not guarantee an overall acceptance or understanding of the artists message. Daniel Taylor says that “any story is true, fictional or otherwise, that testifies accurately to the human condition,” but Francis Schaeffer slightly contradicts Taylor by stating that “art may heighten the impact of the worldview (in fact, we can count on this), but it does not make something true”(“Perspectives” 37). While Taylor says that accurate representation of human conditions equals truth, Schaeffer states that the artist worldview of human condition influences the audience, but it doesn't make the worldview true. This contradiction addresses the idea that art has an impact on its audience, causing the them to reflect on what they truly believe.
Thought-provoking
Good Christian art should not only contain technical mastery and authenticity, but also provoke a personal reflection from the viewer. Schaeffer states that “Though our worldview might differ from the artist, does not mean that his work is junk.” Unfortunately, many works are discarded and destroyed because “of people not being able to differentiate between technical excellence and content” (“Perspective” 39). When approaching any form of art, a person brings his or her worldview and ideas to the piece, sometimes missing the artist's message. Good Christian art defamiliarizes the standards of life, the evil, and mundane, causing the audience to reconsider the purpose or meaning of some parts of life. Pop Art from in the 1960's embraced the idea of defamiliarization of life with artist taking the mundane, such as Andy Warhol's use of a Campbell soup can, and presenting it in a way that causes the viewer to reconsider the everyday item's value and purpose.
Good art not only causes the audience to reconsider the ways of life, but to also question their personal way of life. Richard Terrell says that the art of “literature makes possible reflective thought” (241) and C.S. Lewis agrees stating that when a person partakes in art “their whole consciousness is changed. They have become what they were not before.” (225). Having visited a few art museums, the impressions that are left with me change the way I look at the world, I see the past of art in the art created presently. Different people receive different impressions from art based on their past experiences. Life is marked by ups and downs and events that seem to lack meaning, “yet man intensely desires to know his own meaning and the meaning of the meaning itself” (Kilby 13). Good Christian art causes the audience to reflect on their life, and if it does not then the work is lacking.