He Qi Inappropriate?

We received a call last week from a woman who thought the art of Dr. He Qi was inappropriate for 7th grade boys.

Any thoughts on that one? Comments? Agreements? Critiques?

Here's my take on why I chose the works of this quiet genius to be the center of our brand and first focus on all of our lessons... at all age levels.

First, a comment:

One can’t argue taste. One can't argue art. And one certainly can’t argue someone’s opinion or taste in art.

Second, art for art's sake is fine, but I choose to use art as a beginning point of a journey into the mind and an introduction to the learning process. Picasso said “Art is the lie that helps you see the truth.”

Art that is evocative, provocative, bright, multi-ethnic, story-based, vibrant and powerful will always have fans, and always have detractors. To me, the art is not the point of the art. What great art does is to lead the observer either privately or publicaly into a dialogue. Like a great song, a great poem, a great dance, or a great piece of theater, visual art attacks multiple areas of the brain and creates an array of electrical activity flashing about the mind. When used in education as a starting point, great art draw out comments, thoughts, impressions, emotions, and conversation around the theme. The art is not the point. The engagement of the whole mind with others' minds is the point. Using great art as a lead-in that gets kids (people) involved in the “what do you see” and “who are you in this painting” and “what do the painting and the Bible verse say to one another” - this turns the art into a true “educatio” (draw out) tool. Whether the great art is a great story, a great painting, a great poem, a great parable, it great art solicits a great engagement which the skillful teacher can then use to build the theme.

From my experience, the visual art of Dr. He Qi does this better than any Christian art in existence. It is iconic. It is vibrant. It is humorous. It had hidden symbols and meaning laced throughout. It is Picasso meets Matisse meets Chagal meets the East.

It is not simply good art. It is great art. It does all this and more.

To me, faith without art is an unfurnished mansion.

I want He Qi's art to lead kids to discuss, engage, learn, remember, and create their own art after seeing it.

It is a seed.

Rich

PS - How old do you have to be to appreciate great art? How much education do you need in order to be drawn into it and drawn out?

Comments

[Denise]

My only thought is that 7th grade boys are finding a lot more inappropriate things to look at than He Qi's art and that exposing them to something that is interesting, vibrant, fun, colorful will draw them in and ultimately "draw them out" (as you pointed out educatio means). It is already challenging to get 7th grade boys to participate in and want to come to church, if the art reaches some of them and sparks an interest, that is a good thing!
As for how old do you have to be to appreciate great art.....my 2-year old is already drawn into the art in his picture books and points out things in the pictures that I may have overlooked. Does that mean he is "appreciating great art"? I don't know, but he is already interacting with the art he encounters and finding meaning in it.

[Connie K. Sales]

I had the pleasure of attending a workshop with you recently in Utah. I don't know the specifics about what would be inappropriate. I feel it would be up to the parent really to determine such things for their own children.
Personally, I believe in being open to communication with my child. Children are exposed to so much these days that are detrimental to their well-being (if left alone). However, as a parent, I welcome questions no matter what. I find He Qi's art to be spectacular and would welcome my child to encounter it.
For me, we can appreciate great art at any age. As we grow and mature our appreciation matures and changes as to our level of cognition, emotions, skills, etc. No special education needed to be drawn into art and to appreciate it.

Thank you

[Jordan 11 Space Jam]

Put your heart and soul into the things what you do that you will feel more easy than before. This is my idea that carry out many years ago.