GOLD SILHOUETTES
“Stay gold, Ponyboy”.
I had a flatmate who used to say that, it seemed, at random intervals, as a way of encouraging me somehow. Before a gig, before a first date, that sort of thing. Almost like a “go get ‘em”. Only later did I come to learn that the quote in reference, from S.E. Hinton’s coming-of-age novel, the Outsiders, was itself quoting the line from a Robert Frost poem: “nothing gold can stay”.
The reality, though, is that gold is, chemically speaking, one of the most stable elements known to humankind. It lends its name to expressions such as “the gold standard” (no politics, please) and “all that glitters is not gold” (*cue Smash Mouth in the background*) for good reason. There is a timelessness in the substance. A universal value.
Enter Michelle Arnold Paine. Michelle had made something timeless of her own, though not in what I would consider the most conventional manner. And that’s what we love about it.
Michelle has just released a miniseries of paintings entitled Gold Silhouettes, and they are brilliant.
Literally.
“Entrance” from Gold Silhouettes by Michelle Arnold Paine
Now when I first encountered this piece, I had a series of thoughts. Here’s a little glimpse into Jude’s inner-monologue.
Wow, I like this! I would totally hang this in my living room. Or maybe in my studio.
Wait a second. This looks kind of abstract. Is this abstract art? I don’t like abstract art. That is in no way influenced by an ex who loved abstract art.
As a responsible adult, I should probably seek further information and allow my views and opinions to be informed by authentic sources.
And wouldn’t you know it, Michelle had a gold mine of insight that I never would have expected.
For starters, the series was first conceived out of an affinity for the work from the medieval and Renaissance eras. Michelle, who spent three years studying and working in Italy, was drawn to the art from these past generations of Catholic creatives, and was inspired to bring elements of their work into her own. Specifically, she cites artists such as Giotto, Simone Martini and Fra Angelico as providing the foundational inspiration for her use of paint and gold leaf to illuminate the various images of Mary found in Gold Silhouettes.
That’s pretty cool. Still, Michelle sees a larger vision to the piece and the miniseries as a whole:
Each of those artists took elements of Eastern iconography and combined with the “new” Western trends towards more emotional and expressive poses and more dimensionality in the figures. I believe we are once again in a moment where Christian art needs to draw from a diversity of artistic traditions in order to speak to our time.
Michelle Arnold Paine
You know how speakers and rappers have the micdrop? Whatever that is for painters, that’s what this is. I’m sure it leads to quite a bit of tidying up and lots of gold leaf and paint stains on the floor. #WorthIt
“In Waiting” from Gold Silhouettes by Michelle Arnold Paine
Michelle has an interesting vantage point to the role of her creativity in the broader community of the Church. For her, art, spirituality and devotion are thoroughly intertwined. Having been confirmed and received her first Communion in Italy at age 23, Michelle cites the art she encountered in Italy as one primary vehicle whereby theological and scriptural truths were made present and relevant to her in a way she had never before encountered.
The relics of a Eucharistic miracle in the Orvieto Cathedral forced me to confront the truth of the Eucharist, forcing the question “Should I become Catholic?”. Medieval art, Italian Charismatic Catholics, and a couple of Italian nuns taught me about Mary’s place in salvation history and how the Annunciation is the moment of Incarnation. All of these images, places, narratives continue to play a role in the art that I create.
Michelle Arnold Paine
In a Church becoming so increasingly and so bitterly divided along lines involving art and liturgy, this is a breath of fresh air.
To me, Michelle’s work is not just a blend of historical styles with what is en-vogue in the present. What she has made is indeed reminiscent of the iconography that resonates with Catholics of the more traditionalist persuasion, but the edgy, abstract posture of her pieces evokes the allure of innovation and novelty that speaks to progressives. It unifies a centuries-wide chasm of artistic preference in a series that serves to help us meditate on the Blessed Mother’s obedience and surrender to the Father’s plan. If gold is a timeless substance, it is only fitting that gold can be used to bring to life such a timeless truth.
Anyway, we are totally on board with what Michelle is doing. Be sure to check out her website and leave her some love in the comments below. What speaks to you in her pieces? And what role has visual art played in your spiritual journey?
Until next time, stay gold.
by Benjamin Jude
Worship Leader / Recording Artist
CC Admin