I did a canvas and gave it to the church. It was about not trusting in money and they put it next to the donation box for the new building. I feel like my work was just perverted. I meant to say "Forget about money... in God we trust! The west has replaced it's dependency on God with it's dependency on money. Do you see how empty our trust is?" Now my message seems like "Remember money? You don't need it, give it to the church so they can buy a huge building". I have nothing against the church or the pastor (really funny last week). I have seen so many people turned away from the church over money and I've had to spend a lot of time trying to convince many people that "the church is not interested in your money". I have a thing against big buildings unless homeless people get to sleep in them. When I think of big churches I think of the cathedrals brimming with light, art, luxury and the peasants freezing to death outside the doors. I look at the architecture of the Gothic period and feel sick with shame on behalf of my christian heritage. I pray that the building is used for good things and that no one receives a negative message through my art. Recently God has been teaching me how to better love christians. I'm trying not to hate on christian things just because they don't exactly fit with my view because, there is usually some validity to everyones view. I'm glad the money isn't going to pay salaries of people who make more money than I do or to convince through funding people to do what they already know they should do but needed an extra financial push. I wish I wasn't so sinical... I don't know... maybe I should be more sinical. I love the church but sometimes it's difficult to endure lowering your expectations of God's people and to have a group of utterly flawed people represent a perfect God. All I can say is that our imperfection to me seems like the hugest detriment to God but it just speaks of his amazing un-contingent love. 
5 comments:
wtf!? Did they even look at your piece?
I know that I am a little more "arty" than some people but the symobism you used here was (I thought) very direct and open. It should have been aparent to even the extremely dense.
What did they think the cut up dollar bills were all about?
I'm reminded of guys like Grant Morrison and other comic writers. They positively hate it when a movie is made that distorts the original artistic vision of thier comic. Morrison, in particular, hated the movie for "V for Vendetta" and did not want his name to be associated with it. And that's despite the fact that the director tried very hard to stay true to the graphic novel.
Similarly, Johnny Depp used to despise any kind of commercial branding that used his image. He made a big stink about NOT being used in that way back when 21 Jump Street was hip with the kids. He saw it as corrupting his artistic purpose.
And yet this past week, I saw an interview asking him about the Pirates merchandising. He's fine with it now, 20 years later, even though it was such a big deal to him back them. He said that he has changed and now he just finds it all absurd. There's no way to really control what other people do with your artistic vision, he said, so why not go along with the cosmic joke?
My point is, the only way to really control the message of your art is to never show it to anyone, never give it, never sell it and never use it. Anything short of that and the message of the art will be interpreted differently by different people.
And for the record, let me offer what I think the church really used as its interpretation of this piece. Their message was, "Forget about money...in God we trust! We're not building a big church for us, we're doing it for God. We don't need your money for this church project, we need it to meet the needs of more people in town. Don't give money to the church, give it to God." You disagree, natch, but such is art.
yeah, I feel what both of you are saying. I don't know whether whoever arranged the display (whoever he/she may be) got the message of the piece. I know the heart of the pastor is to build a big building to help more people. I can disagree about which way of helping people is the most effective but that's just personal opinion. I don't have a problem with dense people not understanding art (cuz alot of people don't "get" the sybolism and meaning in art) I just felt it was unfortunate that by the choice of location people may also misinterprate my art in the same fashion. I know that if I asked anyone in charge to take it down they would but I really don't feel that would be right to do. I would be discouraging the pastor and vocalizing my disagreement over a matter of opinion. I accept that people will "get" it wrong but, I still feel that when posible I should attempt to reach people with the correct message. I only wish I had more valuable american bills to cut up at the time to accurately show the value we should place on money. Thanks guys!
I wish that you had more American money, too. Heh.
You should charge them an exhorbitant display fee for your work, maybe a cut of the donations. Or maybe just ask for the piece back.
Nothings twists us quite like money.
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