Articulating the Way of Beauty
Below is a collection of articles written by Thomas More College’s Aritst-in-Residence, David Clayton, which have appeared in various print and electronic publications.
- The Cosmic Liturgy and the Mind of the Creator
The natural order can be described mathematically. Even before the advent of modern science, the ancients were aware of this, as they observed changes and movements of the constellations in the night sky. Most ancient peoples (Babylonian, Egyptian, Chinese, Indian, Greek, Roman, Mayan, Inca, and Aztec) observed these in great detail. They believed that the celestial bodies and the seasonal changes were controlled by mysterious powers or gods. For Christians, a single God controls all, but the stars and the planets are signs of the rhythms of heaven, to which the material world points.
- Make the Form Conform
Most discussions of Christian art that I read focus on the significance of the content. This is appropriate, of course, but in focusing on content, one must not forget that form is a vital component. I must seek to ensure that the form conforms, so to speak, to these transcendentals. This is not only the responsibility of the artist. Patrons must be aware of this too. When as I am selecting art done by other artists, no matter what the purpose, I must have some criteria to guide me, so that what I pick is good and appropriate to the purpose.
- The Way of Beauty
A living tradition can develop and respond to the needs of the time without compromising on the timeless principles of beauty, truth, goodness and unity that underlie all genuinely Catholic art. This would enable us I said, to produce art for both sacred and profane settings, and contribute to the establishment of the art of Vatican II. This will evoke the art of the past, yet be distinct and in many ways of a previously unimagined in style. It will characterise our era as beautifully and distinctly as the Romanesque, the Gothic and the Baroque did theirs.
