For a painter of abstract expressionism, Makoto Fujimura has some very concrete ideas on the role of Christians as stewards of culture. Fujimura was in Madison this week for Geneva Forum, a series of lectures and public appearances sponsored by Geneva Campus Church. Last night he spoke on "Prodigal Art: Restoring Health to the Cultural Ecosystem," to a crowd of about 200 gathered in the Alumni Lounge of the Pyle Center on the University of Wisconsin campus.
Fujimura lives in Manhattan, not far the Hudson River. The Hudson is an estuary, where salt water and fresh water mix. "It’s one of the most diverse ecosystems in the world," he said. "I love the river."
Culture is also a diverse ecosystem, he suggested. "As we are to be good stewards of nature we should also be good stewards of culture." Living in close proximity to Ground Zero, where memories of 9/11 prompt the question, "well what now?", creating a cultural estuary is his response.
Referencing Jesus’ parable of the Prodigal Son, Fujimura noted that his pastor (Tim Keller of New York City’s Redeemer Presbyterian Church) has suggested that prodigal does not mean wayward, as commonly understood, but rather recklessly spent until nothing is left. And it is God, who sent his son Jesus for our salvation — "with extravagant grace that defies explanation" — who is the namesake of the parable.
Art today is often seen in much the same way as prodigalism, celebrating waywardness with reckless abandonment. But art is also about returning home. "We haven’t done as good of a job with that in our culture," said Fujimura.
Fujimura, who held a six-year Presidential appointment to the National Council on the Arts from 2003 to 2009, said that artists should be involved with finding solutions. He has launched an organization, the International Arts Movement, to bring artists together to engage the culture. "We have the potential to create a return home for this wayward prodigal culture," he said.
In the Question and Answer period following the lecture, Fujimura was asked about the Culture Wars and responded by saying that there are other, more productive options than just screaming at the culture. "By avoiding culture you’re shooting yourself in the foot," he said. "You have to create culture to change culture."
Returning to the Prodigal parable, Fujimura said that Christians need to be more actively engaged. "The older brother should have gone to get the prodigal and bring him back," he said. "Jesus did that (through his incarnation)."
Fujimura was introduced by Cameron Anderson, a Madison resident who is director of Christians in Visual Arts (CIVA), a national organization. It was also announced that a local discussion group connected with Fujimura’s International Arts Movement, was starting up in Madison. Fujimura’s appearance was co-sponsored by Christians in the Visual Arts, InterVarsity Christian Fellowship Grad and Faculty Ministry, and New College-Madison.
In conjunction with the Geneva Forum, an art exhibition featuring ten Madison-area Christian artists is on display in the first floor hallway of the Pyle Center, at 702 Langdon Street. The exhibition is titled "Between The River and The Sea," based on the concept of the estuary. The featured artists are: Cameron Anderson, Rachel Durfee, Mary Hill, Jonathan Kramka, Gary Nauman, Bill Redinger, Sharon Redinger, Bobbette Rose, Natalie Settles, and Barry Sherbeck. The exhibition can be seen through February 28, 2010.