Schaeffer on Art Part 1

Schaeffer makes a distinction between "high art" and "more popular expressions." Let's first begin with how Schaeffer defines high art. He defines it by the mediums it manifests in mainly painting, sculpting, poetry and classical music. The more popular expressions include novels, theater, cinema and pop and rock music. This distinction assumes some things about the mediums. One, popular expressions are more commonplace and therefore are apt to be less effective in their message. Two, high art arises from more technical training or skill.

I feel that this distinction is problematic for a few reasons. Schaeffer is looking through a very European lens of art where these mediums he refers to as high art were invented and highly acclaimed. This is problematic because it discounts other cultures views of arts. Mind you this does not have anything to do with Christianity and art but rather the Eurocentric mind we view things in. Not only does the distinction come from a narrowed view it also discredits the ability of "popular expressions" to carry high quality and high effectiveness in expression. As a friend put it, who is to say that rap music can not be high art. It is after all a popular expression in today's day and age. Granted the quality of most rap music today is poor at best but isn't that true about all mediums? Surely there is poor paintings and poor poetry (I hear the New Yorker has some bad poetry in it. I can't imagine looking at the lyrics of K'naan and not understanding the pain and brokeness in which he lives. Not only does his message come through but he says it in the most poetic of ways. Just to point out another flaw in his argument Schaeffer chooses to ignore the fact that classical music was once popular music and while the form of it today is not as mainstream its roots are still buried in the great composers of the day who had all the popularity of musicians today.

Perhaps, Schaeffer's message in creating a distinction between high and popular art is acknowledging the skill of the artists. There is no inherent distinction found when the you examine the forms as entities but certainly there is a distinction between well made art and art that is acceptable in popular culture. For instance, and some will argue with this, Britney Spears is widely accepted in the public eye for the music she creates but her musical skill pales in comparison the likes of John Mayer, Sigur Rios and Coldplay all of whom can be considered in the genre of popular music. Schaeffer does well throughout the essay to point out that without technical prowess an artist's message is lost behind the lack of quality in their work.

I'll have more on Schaeffer in the coming days but feel free to leave comments on this post or anything else you would like to see on my blog.

Coffee Shops

In the last couple of weeks I had a discussion with a friend about coffee shops in Columbia. I thought I would put in my thoughts about some of the shops around town starting with my favorites and moving to the ones I like less or know the least about.
Kaldis
Kaldi's is probably the best coffee shop in Columbia. They serve the best cup of coffee in town as far as flavor and variety go. Grab one of their tasty sandwiches or bakery items to go along with your beverage of choice. The atmosphere is comfortable with a little bit for everyone to enjoy. The fire place and couches in the back are great for people who want to enjoy a cozy conversation with friends or get buried in a book. The tables provide a place for people to study, eat or surf the web. Located conveniently in downtown Columbiat, Kaldi's gets my award for best overall coffee shop in Columbia.
Artisan
The Cherry Street Artisan was top dog until Kaldi's moved in to town. Now that they don't serve Kaldi's coffee their product is weak. The food is well made and always goes down well. I hear the hummus is great but then again does anyone actually like hummus? In all reality the only thing really saving the Artisan for me is the atmosphere. What other coffeeshop can you grab lunch at, drink a beer and enjoy live music? If you're looking for a place to hang out for lunch or conversation with friends why not check out the Artisan for a great atmosphere and some good eats.
Dunn Bros.
I must admitt that I am a little biased when it comes to Dunn Bros. I do work there after all. The coffee is decent but the espresso, ice tea and blended drinks are what really carry the drink menu. The soup is usually good and the cinnamon rolls are almost as good as the ones my brother-in-law's mom makes (that means awesome by the way). Tons of outlets line the walls making a great place to study with friends or by yourself. Another upside is that it is on Forum blvd. which is off the beaten path (so you won't run into everyone you know) but close enough for a quick trip to campus or home.
Lakota
Lakota is cool because it is a distinctly local place. The atmosphere is awesome with their rugged wooden tables and chairs. They roast their beans in house which is pretty cool too. A unique crowd hangs out their especially in the mornings. Check out for its decent product and cool atmosphere. It is locate just across from Kaldi's at ninth and cherry just a few blocks from campus.

There are a few other shops in town including Coffee Zone and It's A Grind. I don't know too much about either but Coffee Zone does have Rocket Fuel which is solid cup of coffee. Feel free to add to the list of places to go. I love coffee and am always willing to try a new place.

Schaeffer on Art

Recently I have been exploring what it means to be an artist. More specifically an artist working from a Christian world view. Upon suggestion of Patrick I read Francis Schaeffer's Art and the Bible. This post will be some general thoughts on the book as a whole and more posts will follow concerning specifics in the pages.


Just as some background, the book is a collection of 2 essays that Schaeffer wrote. It is not the best written book but he puts together a clear argument addressing topics such as how the Bible speaks about art, how Christians should critique art and how Christians should use their world view to produce art. While the book provided some insight as to a Biblical view of art and some interesting ideas on other topics, there were some major disagreements I had with it. Through the rest of my posts on this topic I will examine some points I disagreed with or found espcially interesting or important. I would encourage anyone who reads this to comment on the series to create a discussion. After all, that's what art is all about.

Tigers in Kyrgyzstan

I follow a blog called The Big Picture by the Boston Globe. Today they posted an essay about Kyrgyzstan. Here is a photo from the essay.

Car Art

I follow a couple art/photo blogs. Usually there is some cool stuff but nothing incredible. Today was an exception. There's a guy named Scott Wade who creates impressive drawings on the dirty windows of cars. If you don't believe me check it out. His work can be found on his website, linked here.

Photo credits: Scott Wade, Dirtycarart.com

I Really Don't Hate St. Louis

I came across this really cool project that's gathering national attention. Edward Crim, a St. Louis based photographer, is doing one of the coolest 365 projects I've ever seen. For those of you who don't know what a 365 project is it's simply a project that involves taking a photograph of a similar subject everyday for an entire year. His project involves, in my opinion, one of the coolest parts of St. Louis, Forest Park. His project has put a unique spin on the park and has progressed quite well so far. I'm interested to see how it continues to take shape.

His project can be found here.

Obama Day

I ran across this on youtube today and thought it was appropriate for today.