The Seen and the Unseen

"The Maker"

A beautiful short film about time, creation, and connections

Tim Keller shares a lot of interesting ideas about life, meaning, and how it relates to being an artist in his essay "Why We Need Artists (117)." According to Keller, part of the reason we need artists is to shine a light on the undefinable. I really appreciate Keller's thoughts on this, because I have found many times that art has been a good way to express that which would otherwise be indescribable. A situation like this, where a physical artistic object has a profound spiritual effect, can be seen in Sue Monk Kidd’s book The Secret Life of Bees. In this story, there is a scene where the main character Lily connects with a statue of an African American Mary. Lily states, “I didn’t know what to think, but what I felt was magnetic and so big it ached like the moon had entered my chest and filled it up” (70). Imagery of the Virgin Mary is a repeated theme in this book, and she is physically represented both in the statue that Lily encounters and a picture of her on the Black Madonna Honey jars. These visual representations act as a guiding force during Lily’s journey, awakening and responding to her yearnings for a maternal figure. These physical, artistic embodiments speak to Lily on a personal level that could not otherwise be reached. As Keller states on page 121, “If you cannot visualize it, you don’t have a sense of it on your heart.”

Lily listens to August Boatwright tell the story of the Mary statue

There is a certain mystery to existence, and art helps individuals to uncover some of the answers. When describing why we need artists, Keller states, "[Artists] need one another because only together do we get some idea of the multifaceted array of God's glory" (124). One life or one work of art might not seem like all that much, but these acts tie us together as human beings, and may have greater impacts than we anticipate. In his essay, Keller discusses the story Leaf by Niggle to illustrate the concept of each artist doing their part in a way that comes together to glorify God. This reminded me of another short story featuring a leaf and an artist, titled "The Last Leaf." The story was written by American author O. Henry, and features a woman named Johnsy who is very ill from pneumonia. The doctor states she could get better if she wanted to live, but that Johnsy's desire to die will prevent her from healing. Johnsy firmly believes that she will pass when the last leaf falls from a decaying ivy vine growing on a wall outside her window. Her best friend and roommate, Sue, is extremely concerned, and discusses the matter with her elderly neighbor, an artist named Behrman. Behrman has always claimed that he would one day create a masterpiece, but he never actually tries to start one. The next day, there is a terrible storm, and Sue is sure all the leaves will have fallen. However, much to Johnsy and Sue's surprise, one leaf still remains on the vine. Days pass, yet the leaf never falls. The girl decides this is her punishment for trying to will herself to die, and decides to get better. She begins to eat and dream of future plans, and soon enough, she is fully recovered. Shortly after, the two women are informed that Behrman had caught pnemonia a few days back and died. They learn that he became ill from being out in the storm, painting a perfect image of the leaf in order to make Johnsy believe that it wouldn't fall and regain her will to live. This ironic story shows the power of art, and supports Keller's idea of a Christian artist and how one person just doing their part can result in incredible things.

An illustration for a film version of "The Last Leaf"

Sources:

Bustard, Ned. It was Good: Making Art to the Glory of God

Kidd, Sue Monk. The Secret Life of Bees

O. Henry. "The Last Leaf"