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James (Jim) Janknegt 52 year old, husband of Lissa, father of Emma (almost 11), visual artist, christian (former episcopalian becoming Catholic), building manager at UT Harry Ransom Center, native Austinite, current elginite, and chainsawweilder. everything on this web site copyrighted by |
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January
2003
Web Pages
referring to this page
Link to this page and get a link back!
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I just finished
reading a book about Savonarola: The
Burning of the Vanities: Savonarola and the Borgia Pope
I had run across Savonarola before in my Renaissance art history classes. He is usually depicted as a holdover, medieval thug standing in the way of progress and everything glorious and modern.
In fact, according to this book he was a godly Dominican priest, a true prophet, and someone who got into a pissing contest with one of the most corrupt popes the world has ever known, Alexander VI. Off course he lost and was hanged and burned on May 23 1497.
One of the most amazing things that occurred as a result of his preaching was the formation of a Republic form of government in Florence that lasted for three years until he was executed and the Medici regained control of Florence.
Botticelli and Michelangelo were also committed followers of Savonarola although this author contends no significant works of theirs was lost in the bonfire of the vanities as some claim.
This is once of those books that points out a hinge of history; if a slightly different path had been taken we would be living in a very different world today.
At one junction Savonarola had the ear of the Kind of France, Charles VIII. Savonarola prophesied that the Pope would be overthrown by the king of France and the church reformed. Charles, indeed had the opportunity to call a council and replace Alexander VI but decided not to at the last moment. If he had the Catholic Church could well have been reformed without the upheaval of Luther and Calvin and the Church might well be united today.
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I had run across Savonarola before in my Renaissance art history classes. He is usually depicted as a holdover, medieval thug standing in the way of progress and everything glorious and modern.
In fact, according to this book he was a godly Dominican priest, a true prophet, and someone who got into a pissing contest with one of the most corrupt popes the world has ever known, Alexander VI. Off course he lost and was hanged and burned on May 23 1497.
One of the most amazing things that occurred as a result of his preaching was the formation of a Republic form of government in Florence that lasted for three years until he was executed and the Medici regained control of Florence.
Botticelli and Michelangelo were also committed followers of Savonarola although this author contends no significant works of theirs was lost in the bonfire of the vanities as some claim.
This is once of those books that points out a hinge of history; if a slightly different path had been taken we would be living in a very different world today.
At one junction Savonarola had the ear of the Kind of France, Charles VIII. Savonarola prophesied that the Pope would be overthrown by the king of France and the church reformed. Charles, indeed had the opportunity to call a council and replace Alexander VI but decided not to at the last moment. If he had the Catholic Church could well have been reformed without the upheaval of Luther and Calvin and the Church might well be united today.
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Last
week we took our annual trip to the beach. Both my wife and I grew up
going to the beach and we both enjoy it. We started taking our daughter
before she was two and she is also a big, beach fan. We don't do much
except swim in the ocean, walk along the sea shore, eat lots of sea
food, read and watch TV. Very relaxing. The other thing we do is spend
one afternoon building a sandcastle. Above is this years finished
sandcastle. It is a group effort and we enjoy making something
beautifual but ephemeral.
Here
is my wife and sister working away. Part of the work involves taking a
break to drink a cold beer. The beach is Port Aransas, Texas, by the
way. The ocean was very clean, hardly any seaweed with pretty big waves
(for Texas anyway).
July 2008
I finished two paintings over the weekend. The two paintings actually make up a unit, not exactly a diptyich as they are meant to hang one over the other. The top painting depicts Jesus carrying his cross down a deserted, urban street. The painting is a commentary on how consumerism hinders our acceptance of the suffering and and need for sacrifice in our lives. We prefer convenience, comfort and security, which the several modern icons of consumerism along the cityscape represent.
The bottom painting shows Jesus riding a white horse as he approaches a throne being lowered down by angels. He is followed by a throng of followers as well as fiery angels. The peaceful animals are also approaching from the right. The bottom strip represents the overthrow of the earthly principalities and powers as the same icons are shown broken and defeated, jumbled together.
These paintings are the completion of a commision and are not for sale.
Click on the painting for a larger image.
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June 2008
We expect it to be hot in Texas in the summer but it got really hot, way to soon. We have had at least 12 days over 100 degrees so far. I don't mind sweating but by the time I get home in the evening it is tough to head out into the furnace-like heat to work in the garden. But apparently tomatoes love the heat. So far (I have been weighing) we have harvested over 75 pounds of tomatoes.
Last winter I ordered three varieties of tomato seed: Roma, Brandywine and Mortgage Lifter. I started the seeds in ziplock bags hung over our wood stove. We nursed the seedlings along and put them in the ground around March 15th. I staked them up and put bird netting over them and hand picked the stink bugs off the fledgling plants. Around the beginning of June the tomatoes started to come on and they haven't stopped. Man, are they tasty!! And no salmonella!! We have been eating them in salads, on sandwiches and I really like them mixed with cottage cheese, cucumbers, onions and basil (also from our garden). I also made some salsa and my wife is freezing the Romas to use this winter in soups, spaghetti sauce and stews. I am also giving them away at work.
In our consumer culture we have largely lost our connection to food. I truly enjoy the authentic experience of growing food. We are trying to grow more and more of what we eat. I am blessed!
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I had the privilege of doing a commission for John and Rebecca (formerly Haskins) Hand for their wedding. The painting was included in their nuptial mass. They choose the Visitation of Mary to Elizabeth as the subject along with the Immaculate Heart of Mary and the Sacred Heart of Jesus on either side. The mass fell on the feast of the visitation. The center panel was placed up in the front of the church and the two side panels were carried in during the procession. My daughter got to carry one of them. The mass was truly beautiful and glorious and the reception was a blast.
It really struck me during the wedding and recepection what a celebration of life this was. Since becoming a Catholic over a year ago I have had a continually deepening appreciation for what JP II called the culture of life as opposed to the culture of death. At this wedding there were many large families some with 10, 8, or 6 children. There were many infants and the bride's brother who was married last year just found out his wife is expecting. It is obvious that this community is open to life and they love children. I can't tell you how refreshingly happy this made me feel. We may live in the worlds's most properous country but sadly we have embraced the culture of death by limiting the size of our families. That is true poverty. I am grateful to be in a group of people who are open to life and love their children and families and trust in the Providence of God!!
Click on the painting for a bigger image.
| May 2008
The reJesus website finally put up the documentary of how I made the Rich Fool painting. There are various images of the painting and five videos of me talking about the creative process of making a painting. Check it out here.
| April 2008
I
was talking with a friend about the Gospel reading that was read
yesterday. It was the story of the two men on the road to Emmaus who
meet Jesus post-resurrection. The part that jumped out at me was: And
he (Jesus) said to them, "O foolish men, and slow of heart to believe
all that the prophets have spoken! Was it not necessary that the Christ
should suffer these things and enter into his glory?" And beginning
with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them in all the
Scriptures the things concerning himself.
I said, ”Don’t you wish the two men would have written down what Jesus said, how he discovered himself in the law and the prophets.” Then it hit me somebody did- I had just recently traveled to Ft. Worth to see the wonderful exhibit “Picturing the Bible” the earliest Christian art, from 3rd through the 6th century. The exhibit was made up exactly of what Jesus had explained to the two disciples on the road to Emmaus. Almost all of the earliest Christian art are images taken from the old testament but interpreted through the life of Jesus.
I said, ”Don’t you wish the two men would have written down what Jesus said, how he discovered himself in the law and the prophets.” Then it hit me somebody did- I had just recently traveled to Ft. Worth to see the wonderful exhibit “Picturing the Bible” the earliest Christian art, from 3rd through the 6th century. The exhibit was made up exactly of what Jesus had explained to the two disciples on the road to Emmaus. Almost all of the earliest Christian art are images taken from the old testament but interpreted through the life of Jesus.
Jonah-being in the belly of the fish three days.
The sacrifice of Isaac.
Adam and Eve
Daniel in the lion's den.
David as the good shepherd.
Most of these images are about death and resurrection, about God’s saving hand. The early Christian artists were making the scriptures come alive to encourage and strengthen their brothers and sisters who were often undergoing persecution and needing to be reminded that their God was one who saved.
Slowly scenes from the
gospel stories and Jesus parables began to emerge as well as images of
Mary, especially once Christianity was protected from persecution. But the initial flowering of Christian art took it’s cue from Jesus and his talk on the road to Emmaus.
Images take from the web site:
Out of the Depths... |
I went to the Transforming Culture Symposium this week and here is my report:
Some thoughts about the Transforming Culture Symposium
The Symposium was good. My overall take on it: the church and artists have a monumental task in front of them to reintegrate art and religion. It is going to be very difficult and take a long time and require many sacrifices. In some ways I feel overwhelmed but I just have to remind myself to take it one day at a time.
The Plenary speakers:
Andy Crouch’s made us aware that the church has used art for it’s own pragmatic purposes. He tried to reassure us that art does not have to be useful. I understand the point he is making but for me it was not fully formed. Art does something that nothing else can do-inform us of what it means to be human. Art often does this in non-verbal ways through music, visual art and in verbal ways, writing, poetry and in combinations of ways, opera, film, theater. When art achieves the internal reason for its existence it’s use is to confirm in us what we know about being human but perhaps did not know we knew (to paraphrase Walker Percy). I affirm his desire to retain a child like relationship to art making.
Eugene Peterson talked impressed me not so much with the content but with the incredible humility with which he presented it. Here is a man who has achieved so much in his live but was talking about how these obscure, unknown artist had had a profound impact on his life as a pastor. He has obviously suffered and his suffering has produced a profound humility. Andy and David are young and know they need to be humble and they try but one cannot achieve humility by trying to be humble because if you succeed you become proud of your humility and are back to square one. You become humble by embracing suffering, your own and others and forget about yourself. I was affirmed by Eugene’s idea that the artist has a vocation irregardless of how he makes a living or whether he is ever successful. The vocation is in the pursuit of the making and cannot be denied.
John Witvliet’s talk on art and public worship was very concrete and right on. His notions of making art for corporate worship having to be CORPORATE (the artist and the church working together to find appropriate images, songs, symbols etc) flies in the face of so much that is aberrant in modern art, the mental masturbation and self-indulgence, the ambiguity of so much personal symbolism that makes true communication impossible. I would be totally happy working within those constraints. I also agree with his comment that art cannot be vague or sentimental.
David Taylor talked about the Dangers of art for the church that he characterized as bad art, super saturation, stubborn ossification of tradition, utilitarian subjecation of art, art as a form of distraction and immaturity.
Barbara Nicolosi was my favorite. She is funny, insightful, painfully honest and Catholic. Her talk touched me the most deeply and personally as she talked about beauty. Then she discussed how pastors are to recognize the real artist in their midst. Finally, and unfortunately she got cut short, she talked about how the artist must suffer. I have been painting for almost 40 years and have to admit that the pain I carry I have learned to put aside, in a sense crust over. Her talk cracked me open and the pain slowly came spreading over me- the loneliness, isolation, rejection and frustration I continually experience because of my commitment to being an artist that I routinely deny. I cried on the way home that night and the way back to the symposium the next day, reflecting on her talk. I have been reading and meditating on the work of St. Therese, the little flower. She says Jesus never sends us a cross in that he doesn’t come along with it. We can offer up our suffering, unite it with his; this is how we achieve sanctity and humility. I can now unit all the suffering that being an artist affords me with the suffering of Jesus, for his sake.
Jeremy Begbie’s talk was a tour de force. He used a Prokofiev piano piece as a metaphor for his talk returning to the piano occasionally to make a musical point. At the end he played the entire piece and everyone was blown away. His main point was: art is hopeful subversion through being diverse, excessive, using inversion, not being sentimental, seeing the old world remade and relying not on order or chaos but non-order.
The singing was great, the artistic interludes mostly effective, the break out sessions too plentiful and good to make choosing only three very difficult, and the food was bbq.
I had one painting in the art exhibit that ran alongside the symposium. Out of the, I guess 30 or so works on display, 2 sold. I can’t imagine finding a more sympathetic audience for this art exhibit anywhere so I guess I leave on a note of discouragement. Of the 650 attendees who came to a symposium about art and faith only two found something worth purchasing. I realize there are many factors in purchasing art that might have made buying something at this meeting impossible but still… That’s why I came away feeling like there is still so much to be done and the way is not going to be easy.
But now we have a local CIVA chapter and a great web page that I hope all of these local, very talented artist will use. And day by day we can make headway.
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February 2008
I got knocked down by the flu a couple of weeks ago and am slowly bouncing back. We have been concentrating on getting ready for our spring garden. I turned part of our barn into a green house and we have been starting seeds: tomatoes, zennias, spinach and chard so far. I got some carrots planted in the garden and one big pile of brush burned where I plan on adding another garden that is physically remote from our current garden so we can more effectively rotate crops. I got most of the trees pruned. I still need to cut down a couple of trees for next winters firewood before they start leafing out. The Elms start putting out leaves in the middle of February so I still have a bit of time.
I finally finished Joyful Mystery #2: Visitation.
Go here
for a bigger version. If you haven't been keeping up I am working on a
series of paintings depicting the 20 mysteries of the Rosary. The 1st
one is here. I did
the 3rd one first as a commission so it is already finished. Next I
will work on Joyful
Mystery #3:
Presentation. My favorite one from art history is Bellini's.
It is apparently simple but is a great composition fully focusing on
the people present and their relationships. I think I am going to use
this painting as a jumping off point for my version.
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January 2008
The Wicked Tenants oil on
canvas- (click on the painting for a really big image to see details)
I am going to call this painting done! I worked on it really hard over the Christmas break, making pretty big changes to it. I had started this a couple of years ago and just felt stumped on how to make it work and finally just left it alone. It has sat in my studio always in the corner of my eye. It is a very complicated painting with a lot going on in it. It is based on the parable of the wicked tenants from Matthew 21: 33"Listen to another parable: There was a landowner who planted a vineyard. He put a wall around it, dug a winepress in it and built a watchtower. Then he rented the vineyard to some farmers and went away on a journey. 34When the harvest time approached, he sent his servants to the tenants to collect his fruit.
35"The tenants seized his servants; they beat one, killed another, and stoned a third. 36Then he sent other servants to them, more than the first time, and the tenants treated them the same way. 37Last of all, he sent his son to them. 'They will respect my son,' he said.
38"But when the tenants saw the son, they said to each other, 'This is the heir. Come, let's kill him and take his inheritance.' 39So they took him and threw him out of the vineyard and killed him.
40"Therefore, when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?"
41"He will bring those wretches to a wretched end," they replied, "and he will rent the vineyard to other tenants, who will give him his share of the crop at harvest time."
Happy New Year!! We had a very relaxing and wonderful two week Christmas break. I started a new painting and worked a lot on an old painting that I have never been able to finish. It is still not finished but I am making headway. It is a terribly complicated painting about the wicked tenants. I hope to have it finished soon. I'll post a picture of it when I'm done.
I also did a lot of outside work around the artfarm. I finished my patio area by the duck pond. My brother-in-law called it my pachanga which means party in Spanish. I like that so I now call it my pachanga. I built it all from scavanged materials. It started with a slab left over from a garden shed I tore down. It was full of termites. The slab is 8X10 feet. I put up a structure of four large posts with beams on top to define the space. I added a deck, 12X8 feet of redwood that I got off of Craig's List from a women who was building a bigger deck. I spent one day tearing down her deck and got a lot of good wood. Then I raised the level of the ground by digging up a bunch of dirt from alongside the fence in our field and wheelbarrowing it up to the Pachanga. I topped the dirt with flagstones I scavanged. I landscaped around it with some plants I got for my birthday, a Pride of Barbados, Mexican Olive, a couple of native grasses and a couple of silver sage plants. I also moved some rosebushes, oregeno and seaoats from other parts of our property to finish the landscaping. To top it off my brother-in-law made an incredible firepit/grill for my christmas present which I placed in the Pachanga. We are ready to party..well we are not big partiers but we are at least ready to BBQ some steaks on Saturday!
I did a lot of trimming...bushes, trees, perriniels around the place. I started a new compost pile. My brother-in-law helped build a new gate to our garden. I got two Martin birdhouses put back up that had fallen down. I cleaned out a storage room in the barn where old paintings were being stored and turned it into our milking room.
Noel, our new goat.
Since I don't have any big ongoing projects I am going to devote my time to helping my wife with the garden and being more intentional about rasing chickens for eggs and meat. The chickens we have now totally free range and out of the twenty or so chickens we have if I can find three eggs a day I'm doing good. They constantly move the place they lay and I think the dogs find most of the eggs before I can.
I have been reading up on pastured chickens and am hoping to do a trial run this spring. I first read abou this in a National Geographic many years back but ran across it again in the Omnivore's Dilemma in the section about Joel Sallatin and Polyface Farms. I ordered a couple of Joel's books and am sold on his concept. I need to build a couple of moveable pens and order some chicks. I'll probably start with 25 chicks for meat and 25 for eggs. If that works I'll likely expand.
I'm also going to add another section of garden which I need to fence off. That way we can really rotate our crops. The two gardens plots will be physically removed from each other and I hope so will the insects. The last several years we've had a problem with stinck bugs on our tomatos, I ordered some heirloom tomato seeds I want to try out. That reminds me. I'm also converting a section of the barn into a greenhouse so It will be easier to start seeds and propogate plants from cuttings, something I'm really interested in doing.
I read a couple of books over the break: Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman which I enjoyed. Very imaginative. I also read A Deadly Thing, They Say By Leslie Williams. It's a murder mystery with the Episcopal Church as the background. I recognized many of the players from my time spent at St. David's. I also am slowly making my way through Daily Life in Palestine at the Time of Christ by Henri Daniel-Rops. Very illuminating and I expect it will help my understanding of the parables and my paintings there of.
EnVision Church, a website concerned with art, architecture, liturgy and spirituality in the Catholic Tradition is using my paintings and has an article about my ideas on art. Check it out here. You have to register to see the article but it is free. If you don't want to register you can read it here on my web site.