ABOUT THE ARTIST

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Mebane, NC, United States
My wife Emily and I currently live in Mebane, NC with our son Evan. I am actively accepting commissions at this time. You may request work by contacting me at artisservant@gmail.com. I currently charge $200 for 11x14 drawings and $150 for 8x10s. I sell prints of my work for $25 for 11x14 and $15 for 8x10. I hope that you will enjoy the works here displayed, and that you will contact me with your comments at artisservant@gmail.com - January 5th, 2015

Friday, April 25, 2008

GANDHI BONHOEFFER PROJECT COMPLETE


The completed work above was commissioned by a friend that I work with, and it pays tribute to the high esteem that Diettrich Bonhoeffer had for Gandhi, especially his movement of non-violent resistance. It is interesting to note that Bonhoeffer apparently wanted to travel to India and study with Gandhi in person. There is a debate over whether or not Bonhoeffer would have held to a completely pacifist resistance against the Nazis had he not been prevented from taking this journey. Bonhoeffer was a member of the German resistance movement and took part in a failed plot to assassinate Hitler later during the War. It is a debate that we will always have, I think - is there such a thing as a "Just War," particularly in the Light of Christ? Follow this link to read the Catholic understanding. Below I have included two quotes, one from Martin Luther King Jr on Gandhi and Bonhoeffer, and the second an excerpt from a letter Bonhoeffer wrote regarding his desire to study with Gandhi. I have thoroughly enjoyed this project.

"If your opponent has a conscience, then follow Gandhi and nonviolence. But if your enemy has no conscience like Hitler, then follow Bonhoeffer." - Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr.

"[N]ow the time has come when the Sermon on the Mount must be brought to mind again…Incidentally I plan to go to India very soon to see what Gandhi knows about these things and to see what is to be learned there." - Excerpt from a letter written by Bonhoeffer, 1934
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1 comment:

  1. Fr. Gregory Plow, T.O.R.April 25, 2008

    First, I like this combo picture. But I just had to find a place to mention how much I am impressed with the picture you just recently put up on Art is Servant welcome image of you looking upward! It is as if you are in prayer. This is a great picture!!!! It points toward heaven! God bless you bro. you are totally living out so much of JPII's letter to artists.

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WELCOME!

I appreciate your time and your interest in my work. If you are interested in knowing more about me and my philosophy of art, please feel free to scroll to the bottom of this page. I would rather spare those who have no interest in such things from having to read about me before looking at my work. God bless you :)

The Vocation of the Artist

I firmly believe that art is meant to serve others, especially in lifting the hearts of people, through "ephiphanies of beauty," (John Paul II's letter to artists) to the contemplation and the glory of God. The artist participates in a unique way in the inspiration of the Creator of all things, and knows something of His joy in the act of creation, for "the act of creation is an act of love."(The Agony and the Ecstacy) This act is essentially bound up with the mystery of the Incarnation of Jesus, in which what had been invisible was made visible in His person, His life and work, and finally in His death and resurrection. The artist is exhorted by the very perception of his gift to its service. Art is not merely, nor should it ever be, a vehicle for selfish ends or cheap shock and awe, but it must seek to give joy to the lives of others. The artist is then in the end merely a servant of truth, beauty, and goodness, and his work must serve to convey these to a wider audience. "Nor do men light a lamp and put it under a bushel, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven." (Matthew 15-16)I believe that the artist finds in the lives of Jesus, and of His foster father Joseph, essential role models, especially in their hidden life at Nazareth. Though very little is handed down to us in the Gospels or in tradition illuminating this period in Jesus' life, I believe that this hidden, simple, carpenter's life of "working quietly" (2 Thessalonians 3:11) can be a model for all artists, in which delight is daily sought in the manifestation of beauty in wood, paint, charcoal, dance, the stage, and music. This is a life of humility, where the artist freely accepts that this world, including his own work, "will pass away," (Matt. 24:35) but what it points to never will. Obedience to inspiration, especially as it is inspired by God's Word (itself the revelatory self-expression of God) is the artist's highest calling. This new site is dedicated to this higher calling of the artist, to this challenge.

You will find included in this site examples of my own work, as well as links to other sites which
celebrate the arts, and especially challenge the artist to reach the fullness of his own abilities
in the service of something greater than him or his work. I hope that you will enjoy this site, and
take full advantage of its links, especially the Letter to Artists of our Holy Father (of beloved memory) John Paul II. Thank you for your comments and your consideration of this website.

David Myers