Josh Spero, writer for Guardian Unlimited, feels he’s missing out on something with religious art.  “It’s just gold leaf and too many halos,” Spero says.  He feels that being an atheist has excluded him from understanding its meaning.  Spero’s stuck on appearance and can’t move beyond that.  So I wonder, can we bridge the gap between non-belief and religious works of art?

  Spero says:

“Matteo di Giovanni’s Assumption of the Virgin altarpiece (1474) is a pious fiesta of angels dancing around the Virgin against a blinding gold background… There is nothing technically wrong with these paintings but they fail to stir anything within me… If a religious person approached di Giovanni’s altarpiece in its original position in Asciano’s church, they might see this painting shimmering under dusty rays, glowing with the Virgin’s aura of holiness. It would be awe-inspiring in the old-fashioned sense.” (Spero)

I don’t live in the 1400′s.  And I’m not standing in front of Giovanni’s Assumption.  What’s more, I’m Christian, so I could be painting my own assumption here, but I think that we can at least attempt to understand our differences.  Spero falls short.  He wonders if he can experience the meaning of religious works of art (which seems to short-change atheists’ abilities), but that’s where he stops.  Spero can have the same experience a Christian can have with the Assumption, but it requires more than wondering about it.  Just like Hindi, Buddhist, Muslim, or Jewish works of art can inspire me… but I would have to do my part because the work wasn’t created with me in mind.  However, we do share human experiences: pain, happiness, anger, excitement, etc.  It may be easier for a religious person to connect with religious works of art, but the simple fact is that we are all people.  And common ground exists among the gaps.

So postpone the disbelief.  Put yourself in Giovanni’s place.  “Come on in boys, the water’s fine!” (Delmar, Oh Brother, Where Art Thou?)

Spero’s post and the comments that follow are worth a read: Guardian Unlimited: Arts blog – art: I cannot see the divine in religious art (January 11, 2008)