tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-79694498838198595192024-03-06T02:02:56.274-06:00Scapegoat Studio BlogLutheran liturgical art & design by Jonathan Mayerjonathanpaulmayerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01700384925558851084noreply@blogger.comBlogger86125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7969449883819859519.post-42446002290452392162018-03-03T16:50:00.000-06:002018-03-03T16:52:47.326-06:00A New Chapter
Image courtesy of Willet Hauser Architectural Glass: http://www.willethauser.com/
"What profit has the worker from that in which he labors? I have seen the God-given task with which the sons of men are to be occupied. He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also He has put eternity in their hearts, except that no one can find out the work that God does from beginning to end. I jonathanpaulmayerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01700384925558851084noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7969449883819859519.post-90525360716423335952018-02-07T16:22:00.000-06:002018-02-07T16:51:00.464-06:00Like It's Going Out of StyleIf there's one word that defined the 20th century, an argument could be made for "style." Love it or hate it, Modernism brought an avalanche of stylistic trends and -isms that would shape the way our modern world looks; from clothing fashions that changed every five minutes and recycled every couple of decades, to psychedelic graphic design trends, various schools of abstract painting, and a jonathanpaulmayerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01700384925558851084noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7969449883819859519.post-9998872227329498612017-02-14T19:25:00.001-06:002017-02-14T19:25:38.314-06:00Did Luther Stifle Lutheran Art?For Lutherans who have a high regard for the arts, I’ve found that Lucas Cranach is also usually held in high esteem. I noticed this at the Luther exhibit in the Minneapolis Institute of Art, which I was able to attend in December. Works by Cranach, including many portraits of Luther and other Reformation personalities, are among the highlights of the exhibit. Tour guides took special care to jonathanpaulmayerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01700384925558851084noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7969449883819859519.post-38709670775110971872016-08-03T17:55:00.001-05:002017-02-16T07:57:42.589-06:00Return to Wittenberg 2016
This past week I was privileged to be a part of the first Return to Wittenberg (R2W) conference, entitled “What Does This Mean?” The event was held at Wisconsin Lutheran College in Milwaukee, on July 26-29. Since this was the event’s debut, I’ll spend a little time explaining what R2W is before reviewing my experience.
Last fall I was invited by several WELS pastors and laymen to consider jonathanpaulmayerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01700384925558851084noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7969449883819859519.post-27058275229589948732016-04-21T13:55:00.002-05:002016-04-21T14:37:22.057-05:00Is Change Good?
What's the greatest obstacle to change and renewal in the Church? Lutherans are a mixed bag these days, but most of the time I presume political gridlock isn't to blame so much as apathy. (And perhaps "apathy" isn't the right word. Sometimes it seems almost like a militant adherence to the status quo.) Speaking from my experience, I don't know how many times in the past several years "I've jonathanpaulmayerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01700384925558851084noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7969449883819859519.post-3674609302781962052016-02-03T15:51:00.001-06:002016-02-03T18:47:56.420-06:00An Artist's Vocation in All of LifeThe following was written as a feature article for Lutheran Forum, an independent theological quarterly for clergy and laity, with contributing authors from the ELCA and LCMS. It will appear in the spring 2016 edition.
It may seem cliché, but it was like being on a different planet. I stood underneath the massive dome of Sta. Maria del Fiore in Florence, gazing up at one of the jonathanpaulmayerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01700384925558851084noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7969449883819859519.post-8476510382623952682015-12-29T16:12:00.000-06:002015-12-29T19:10:24.907-06:00A Lesson in Point-of-ViewOnce in a while, I'll try to take on some art topics that are more related to the mechanics and principles of design than the theology of art. (Although today, I'll get a wee bit of both in.) Today's topic is point-of-view: where is the viewer in relation to the subject? Why is it even important?
Detail from The Maestà, Duccio, 1311
We don't often think about point-of-view, unless the jonathanpaulmayerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01700384925558851084noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7969449883819859519.post-90439044578698275812015-12-23T10:08:00.001-06:002015-12-23T11:20:59.215-06:00Nativity Stained Glass
This month has been far busier than usual. Of course there's the usual busyness of the season: family gatherings, travel, shopping for gifts, and still trying to earn a living.
As part of a bid for a new employment opportunity, this month I also took the time to design a stained glass window. I spent 24 hours over the course of 2 days to design it. So it's a bit of a rush job, but they were jonathanpaulmayerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01700384925558851084noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7969449883819859519.post-91095738665053516172015-12-04T08:03:00.004-06:002015-12-05T12:55:59.781-06:00What if I'm Not Good at Art?As an art educator, I've often heard the question asked, "Why should I take an art class if I'm not good at art?" The question is raised in at least two different contexts. The first context is when students who are being required to take a gen-ed art class make it known that they'd really rather stick a fork in their eye. The second context is from people of any age who are interested in art, jonathanpaulmayerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01700384925558851084noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7969449883819859519.post-72485331393781889162015-09-21T11:36:00.000-05:002015-09-21T18:54:23.125-05:00Sacred* Art by AtheistsToday's question is: can a non-Christian make meaningful Christian art?
David Mach: Crucifixion, Edinburgh, 2011
David Mach, a nonbeliever, was commissioned to recreate biblical scenes out of coat hangers to celebrate the 400th anniversary of the King James Bible. Despite the acclaim of art critics, us ordinary folk have trouble shaking images of "Hellraiser." It makes you wonder exactlyjonathanpaulmayerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01700384925558851084noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7969449883819859519.post-4803922390136337632015-09-08T10:46:00.000-05:002015-09-08T13:00:38.212-05:00Learning to Yearn for Heaven
Last week I was putting my children to bed (which I sometimes do when my wife needs a break). Bedtime seems to be the time when my three-year-old has his most "theologically aware" moments. I think it must have been the last lines of our bedtime prayer, "If I should die before I wake, I pray the Lord my soul to take. And this I ask for Jesus' sake, Amen," that caused him to start sobbing.
"jonathanpaulmayerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01700384925558851084noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7969449883819859519.post-63729537966178368012015-08-13T11:58:00.001-05:002015-08-15T09:20:37.446-05:00Alphabet Soup: WELS-LCMS RelationsAn acquaintance of mine recently described me as the most pro-Missouri-Synod WELS person he knows. He meant it as a compliment, and I took it as one. I have deep family ties to the LCMS. There's been a Lutheran pastor in every generation of my family since before C.F.W. Walther. Ernst Brauer, the twin of a maternal great-great-grandfather, taught at St. Louis seminary with Walther, and helped to jonathanpaulmayerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01700384925558851084noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7969449883819859519.post-89517419222262052052015-08-11T09:22:00.004-05:002015-08-11T19:14:56.706-05:00Art Ed Done RightI've publicly lamented the lack of good art instruction in our Lutheran schools, especially for younger children, and until recently, I knew of no admirable programs to hold up as examples. A few weeks ago I attended the 15th Consortium for Classical Lutheran Education (CCLE) conference, in Keller, TX. As a faculty member of Wittenberg Academy, I was invited to this fantastic event that I jonathanpaulmayerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01700384925558851084noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7969449883819859519.post-11096834109136138322015-08-05T15:22:00.001-05:002015-08-05T20:22:46.594-05:00On Form vs. Content: Musical Style and the Overemphasis on TextsI've been to a couple of WELS Worship Conferences, and one School of Worship Enrichment. One theme that has consistently bothered me has been the (over)emphasis of texts, to the possible exclusion of music. Now, they don't say it like that, nor will they probably admit that this is happening, but in the context of our synod as a whole, I've seen even the conservatives quickly change the subject jonathanpaulmayerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01700384925558851084noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7969449883819859519.post-19624383133474709642015-08-01T10:05:00.002-05:002015-08-01T10:11:31.824-05:00CCLE Logo Explanation
I recently completed a logo design for the Consortium for Classical Lutheran Education (ccle.org), and was pleased to be able to help them unveil and explain the new design at the CCLE XV conference in Keller, Texas. What follows is the explanation I provided with the completed logo.
The Shield: The lower half of the logo incorporates a shield. The shield is a defensive device used in jonathanpaulmayerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01700384925558851084noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7969449883819859519.post-59923238693712611582015-06-06T14:59:00.002-05:002016-05-25T17:32:05.428-05:00Logo Process: "Business Stuff"Now that I've walked you through the design process (see my previous post), I'm guessing the little accountant in you still wants to know the bottom line: how much does it cost? This post will be dedicated to dotting the "i"s and crossing the "t"s: fees, payment schedule, contracts, and legal obligations. (I know, they're my least favorite part, too.)
Cost / Fees
Invariably, the first thing jonathanpaulmayerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01700384925558851084noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7969449883819859519.post-83173392555336634462015-06-05T10:47:00.001-05:002015-06-07T13:21:55.813-05:00Logo Process: Start to FinishUntil I find a wealthy Lutheran Pope to keep me busy with liturgical art until age 94, I'm happy to say that God provides other means of income. Graphic design—church logos in particular—have become my bread and butter of late. This surprised me, because in college I often thought of graphic design as a "lesser" art form, grouped down there with advertising, typesetting, and commercial stuff withjonathanpaulmayerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01700384925558851084noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7969449883819859519.post-46992435684219369772015-05-05T16:29:00.002-05:002015-05-05T18:29:59.909-05:00Worship is a Lifestyle?
I saw a link on Facebook recently that intrigued me: How do you define Worship? It's a devotional post by Christian musician Michael Schroeder (whom I believe to be WELS, although I could not find any information on his website or blog to verify this.) Here's a portion that I want to discuss:
"I am here today to tell you that worship isn’t a service style. Worship isn’t a music style. jonathanpaulmayerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01700384925558851084noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7969449883819859519.post-30413028808227937212015-03-06T12:52:00.000-06:002015-03-09T20:47:46.094-05:00Judge It by Its Own StandardIf you had walked down the aisle of Holy Name of Jesus in Brooklyn just a few years ago, a peculiar sight would have greeted you in the chancel. Arranged in a semi-circle behind the altar was a grouping of seven post-like objects. The inside face of each object arched toward the altar, and terminated in a recessed light fixture at the top of the arc. The monolithic slabs of drywall gave the jonathanpaulmayerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01700384925558851084noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7969449883819859519.post-65937455279538796572014-12-11T18:26:00.000-06:002014-12-15T13:14:48.111-06:00The Unexpected Nature of BeautyA topic that came up during my presentation at the Worship Conference this summer was the nature of beauty. Is it objective, or subjective? Is it in the eye of the beholder? How do you define it?
A great deal has been written on the subject of beauty, by numerous authors of different theological stripes. And it's one of my long-term goals to read more on the subject in order to gain more insightjonathanpaulmayerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01700384925558851084noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7969449883819859519.post-47811467530679171482014-11-22T10:03:00.002-06:002015-08-05T16:36:05.276-05:00Artists are made, not born
The Redemption (detail)
- E. Riojas
"See, the Lord has called by name Bezalel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah; and He has filled him with the Spirit of God, in wisdom and understanding, in knowledge and all manner of workmanship, to design artistic works, to work in gold and silver and bronze, in cutting jewels for setting, in carving wood, and to work in all mannerjonathanpaulmayerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01700384925558851084noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7969449883819859519.post-51413414718901728622014-08-11T22:28:00.001-05:002014-08-13T20:49:38.728-05:00God's Not Dead: Fictitious "Gotcha"[There are plot spoilers in this review, but most of them you might have guessed about an inspirational Christian film before you even began watching it; i.e. happy ending for pretty much everyone.]
Since its recent release to dvd, I had the opportunity to watch God's Not Dead. I realize there have already been plenty of Christian reviews, and I probably have little to add to what has already jonathanpaulmayerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01700384925558851084noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7969449883819859519.post-77233116335045112352014-08-10T22:19:00.003-05:002014-08-10T22:39:11.038-05:00Ad Orientem or Versus Populum?Liturgical variety can be a wonderful thing. It is proof that Christians are not a homogenous body of cultists, but the wonderfully varied Body of Christ, expressing their faith in a spectrum of languages, cultures, and rites.
That isn't to say that all variety is welcome or desired. I think any Christian would accept that while variety can be good, it is necessary to strive for purposeful and jonathanpaulmayerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01700384925558851084noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7969449883819859519.post-3783571223225805262014-07-30T14:44:00.000-05:002015-08-05T16:36:26.605-05:00Altarpiece for Sale
The 2014 WELS Conference for Worship, Music, and the Arts concluded last week on Friday. We're finally getting back into the daily grind. This triptych was designed and painted especially for the Transfiguration service at the conference. Since it has fulfilled that purpose, I am now offering the triptych for sale. If you know of anyone who might be interested, please pass this along to them.
jonathanpaulmayerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01700384925558851084noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7969449883819859519.post-54566400911899778922014-05-17T12:46:00.000-05:002015-08-05T15:51:08.486-05:00Three Years Later: Lessons LearnedThree years ago last week was my post about the Risen Savior Triptych and the results of the informal survey that sank it. I think it would be a good time to revisit the project. Although I never had the chance to produce it as a full-scale triptych, it is till one of my favorite designs. It was part of my MFA thesis project, designed for my home church, and I invested a lot of time and thought jonathanpaulmayerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01700384925558851084noreply@blogger.com6