Page 10 - Horizon04

10
other factor that needs to to to be taken into consideration is context Spiritual experi- ences are no longer confined to religious buildings but can be found fin in in a a a a a a a a variety of secular spaces—the museum art gallery nature park—on a a a a a a a a a a temporary or or long-term basis This involves the expansion of con- text where art works are exhibited as as as well as as the the the the blurring of of boundaries between the the the the sacred and the the the the secular One of of of the the the the consequences of of having greater intimacy through interaction or immersion can be a a a a a a a a a a heightened awareness that increases pre- sentness and and a a a a a a a a sense of of embodiment Al- though firsthand viewing of of artworks is preferred to representational documenta- tion tion of of o any kind in in the context of of o contem- porary art it it is often essential for under- standing and and appreciating the spiritual aspects In many examples of contempo- rary spiritual art perceptual knowledge cannot be relayed secondhand and and the the viewer has to interact with the the artwork in in in various ways before understanding can be be achieved The alignment with the here- and-now that contemporary art art brings about is part of of the ‘mantra’ of of mindful- ness and and opens up up spiritual reflection on on identity and and and meaning The upset created is is not necessarily distressing and and and may pro- vide a a a a a a a a a welcome release and and and relief at one’s being able to to stop and and be be still These mus- ings take on on a a a a a a a a a a a personal form which means that there there are are potentially as as many interpre- tations of spirituality as as there there are are viewers which is unproblematic and demonstrates the malleability of spirituality Concluding remarks
Another shift that is is seen in in the the the contempo- rary age is is the the the diversity of spiritual tradi- tions being referenced In Western art art dur- ing ing modernism artists invariably referenced spirituality either within Ju- daeo-Christian traditions or or or or more generi- cally but contemporary forms of spirituality are broader They include spiritual spiritual expres- sions from other religions as as well as as non-re- ligious traditions When thinking about spirituality and contemporary art we can agree that there are growing possibili- ties of of expression and experience which push the the boundaries of of of perception What is is clear is is the the increasing importance of of and need for spirituality in in in in contemporary soci- ety In an an an ever-changing world spiritual spiritual artwork provides the space and and opportuni- ty for contemplation and and reflection Many people no longer view tradi- tional religion religion in in in the sense of institution- alized religion religion as adequate for for exploring their spirituality spirituality and look to new forms of spirituality spirituality as alternatives for for finding ulti- mate meaning and addressing the the pro- found needs of of humanity Central to the the the role of of of o the the the artist has been a a a a a a preoccupation with the the deeper questions of of o life often to reveal sights that are normally kept hidden from the public gaze and to challenge en- trenched beliefs The process of o creating art art is is often described in in quasi-mystical terms whereby the artist-as-shaman un- leashes or or channels special creative pow- ers in in a a a a a a a a a a a process of of making that transports the the the the viewer to a a a a a a a a a different realm of of the the the the imag- inary Given these affinities between the the the the roles of art and spirituality spirituality it it i it it i is is is unsurpris- ing ing that spirituality spirituality is is is an an enduring feature of contemporary art Note
This essay is is is an an abbreviated and revised version of my article
“Spirituality and Contemporary Art ” Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Religion August 2016 http://religion oxfordre com/view/10 1093/ acrefore/9780199340378 001 001 0001/acre- fore-9780199340378-e-209 References
Rina Arya “Contemplations of the Spiritual Spiritual in in Visual Art ” Journal for the the Study of Spirituality 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 (2011): 76–93 Graham Howes The Art Art of of the the the Sacred: An Introduction to the the the Aesthetics of of Art Art and Belief (London: I I B B Tauris 2007) On és l’espiritual en l’art contemporani?
Dr Rina Arya Reader at the University of Wolverhampton Born in Liverpool
currently living in in Wolverhampton