Unlikely Trio: Apostle Paul, Inigo Montoya, and Mark O’Connor

Integrity is the standard by which we judge the quality of Art. Paul’s famous line from I Corinthians well states the ultimate standard of quality in any person’s life: “Without love. . . ” any effort is pointless. I find it interesting that one of the examples he expressly cites is that of public speaking. This was an Art he much admired and was gifted in (both physically and spiritually, I believe). Any expression is futile if we have not love. Although I use the word “integrity” to encompass more than just “agape,” that self-denying love found only in things of God, let us examine first the role of agape in a Christian artist.

            All our lives are to be inundated by agape, until nothing else is ultimately left. Such love is the only gold worth buying. All else will be burned up in that final conflagration intended, not to destroy, but to purify. This even includes our “Art,” as passionately as we may hold on to it. Like the FDA label says, “If used for anything other than its intended purpose, it may be harmful.” Art can be an idol, a demon and could eventually destroy us if we allow ourselves to follow it into hell.

But our Art is also a demigod that on the positive side, if fulfilled by Love and baptized by Grace, can transcend all that even we in our aesthetic ecstasy can imagine for it.

If all is futile without Love (thank you, Solomon and Paul, for demonstrably making that clear), then the Christian artist must directly apply Love to her artistic life. In the Christian, it is clear that agape is the only true reason for creating, and the humility and self-denial that are the definition of agape will come as a matter of course.

Lone Pine by Jack Ballard

Self-denial?

Naturally. An experienced church musician has only to consider the time he had to play “Just As I Am” – straight, mind you, with no embellishments – 1500 times during one altar call. Or maybe it just seemed like 1500. A graphic artist is asked to design the new church logo and out of the five options set before the church board, the “cheesiest” version is selected over the artist’s protests. A nationally known theater producer volunteers to teach drama to a group of unappreciative youth, in the belief that it nonetheless furthers the will of God.

 Yet, self-denial without a false martyrdom comes from the work of the Holy Spirit and, if we are lucky to get this far in our spiritual growth, from the realization that God is bringing people to Himself through the talent He gave us. This is only one manifestation of God’s Love within the heart of the Artist.

            Humility is inherent within the Christian as he follows Christ. “Let this attitude be in you that was in Christ Jesus who. . . humbled Himself.” (Phil. 2:5)

In the development of his Art, the Christian rides that fine line – truly a razor’s edge – between confidence and arrogance. One must have enough confidence in his Art to stretch, grow and respond to criticism without wilting, yet humble enough to acknowledge the Source of his inspiration comes not from within himself.

An appropriate view is found in William Goldman’s The Princess Bride, as Inigo Montoya describes his relationship to his art:

Yeste: “You are an artist,”

Montoya: “No. Not yet. A craftsman only. But I dream to be an artist. I pray that someday, if I work with enough care, if I am very very lucky, I will make . . . a work of art. Call me an artist then, and I will answer.”

Montoya does not cease to create in the deprecation of his heart, but lifts his head in the hope that someday his Art may reflect that he is an Artist, but not before. Saxophone player Ernie Watt conceded in a masterclass I was in that one often had to compromise one’s art to make a living, so that one could complete another visionary project or performance with utmost integrity. Lady Gaga spent years building a career as a pop icon, only to express her personal interests in jazz with a Tony Bennett.

            But much can be done even within a project. It may be “boring,” and it may be very different from the actual things the instigator wishes, but even pragmatic, utilitarian jobs can be done with integrity. It is vital that one understands the fine line between the starving artist that has complete integrity and the money-grubbing mercenary that has long forgotten what her initial passion catered to.

            One artist that seem to have understood this balance is violinist (or should I say “fiddler”?) Mark O’Connor. While having the technical “chops” to “sit-in” on multiple performances, in almost any style, he recognizes where his passion lies. There is no question about his skill on the violin, but his background and his passion is clearly in his improvisation. It is the fluidity and the unique aspects of each performance that drives his passion on improvisation.

            On his Youtube release, “The Improvised Violin Concerto,” he describes his background, his style and his new composition for orchestra and solo violin. It is clear that his passion is demonstrated by this composition that expressed his personal musical integrity: clearly an artist’s manifestation of James 2:18’s “faith without works.” With a background of bluegrass and jazz, his performances with such “classical” and jazz string players as Yoyo Ma and Edgar Meyer produced two albums based on the fusion of classical and bluegrass/folk music (Appalachia Waltz, and Appalachian Journey). This is not a matter of “selling out” one’s style and artistry, but finding influences that actually make it better without losing the integrity of the original. 

Practical Integrity

With the idea that Art is merely a medium to convey vision, and therefore neither inherently “good” or “bad,” let us examine Art as created within the bounds of the human being, those of God and those who are not.

“Is it Truly Art?”

In a general sense, no matter who or what the artist is, believer or unbeliever, it comes from the depths of the soul, for the soul is where the vision starts. True Art will transcend the processes of conveying that vision so that the vision is the most accurate it can possibly be. This transcends what culture has to say about True Art, for it is not culture that determines whether Art has Integrity, but the artist, and God who knows the artist.

            What about “obscene” material that may proceed with Integrity (or at least honesty) out of an artist's soul? It may still be Art, by that strict definition of Integrity, but simultaneously that creation is a magnifying glass into that person's soul. The mind and spirit that produces twisted Art may be twisted themselves, and is deserving our pity and prayers more than our animosity and ridicule. In this way, Art is merely a medium, and the messenger should not be killed for the news it carries.

To borrow from Paul’s priorities of faith, hope and love: Integrity for the Christian artist flows from spiritual, artistic and personal sources. Spiritually, all is driven by and subject to God alone (“soli Deo gloria”) to whom all praise be delivered not only and including our art; artistic, for the communication to others must be balanced with the full expression of our artistic sensibilities; and personal, for our personal desires are subject to, and must be tempered by accountability to spiritual and artistic integrity.

Jack Ballard, composer

If you are interested in contributing an article or would like to recommend a topic for exploration, please send an email to: josh.rodriguez.music@gmail.com Images provided by contributor or taken from http://princessbrideforever.com/the-movie/other-great-stuff/