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The Strange Place of Religion in Contemporary Artí is the title of the talk which American professor James Elkins will deliver at St Jamesí Cavalier centre for creativity. He talks to Gilbert Calleja about his ideas and experiences as an artist, teacher and critic.
Religion remains an integral part of Maltese culture in spite of the move towards a more open secular kind of society which we have experienced during these last couple of decades. Our architectural, artistic and literary heritage is in its greatest part made-up of testimonials to the cults and religious beliefs of the people. Temples, chapels and churches are our major architectural treasures. Saints, biblical events and ex-votos constitute the majority of subjects represented in sculptural and pictorial pieces. The exception? Twentieth century local artists who have followed the continental artistic move towards greater individualism.
 Professor James Elkins is visiting Malta to take a look at these artists and extend his research about this shift from the religious to the secular in twentieth century and contemporary art. The Faculty of Education at the University of Malta has invited him to present a talk about ëThe Strange Place of Religion in Contemporary Artí this coming Tuesday at St Jamesí Cavalier.
What attracts you to this Island? What are you expecting from the local art scene?
îI donít know what to expect. I travel a lot, internationally, researching a book called ìSuccess and Failure in Twentieth-Century Painting.î I find something different in each place. I am looking for modern painters, 1900-1970 especially, that are not known outside of Malta.î
I look up his personal website to try learn more about who he is and his research in the artistic fields. He is graduated in English, painting and history of art specialising in the latter. His publications include ëThe Object Stares backí, ëPictures and Tearsí, ëHow to Use Your Eyesí and ëWhat Painting isí.
Elkins is an artist, teacher, art historian and critic (plus amateur photographer, pianist and ëwinter ocean diverí).
How do you reconcile these three roles?
îWell, some people can reconcile being an artist and being an historian (or critic). I find it almost impossible. I had to give up my art-making when I went into teaching. My wife is the same - she was an artist, and when she became an art historian she found she couldnít continue making serious art. But I keep in practice!
îI teach classes in which people draw and paint: I show them the historical meanings of what they do. I am going to Vienna later this spring to teach some Viennese art historians how to draw. Should be interesting. Most academics have never picked up a charcoal stick.î
What makes an artist in the contemporary world?
îUnfortunately, what makes artists these days is persistent self-promotion. The artists who are most successful are the ones who are willing to put in the time and effort: they go to galleries and show people their work; they talk to curators; they submit art to all the juried shows. The art world, for better or worse, is an enormous market, an international network, and you have to get involved.î
In ëThe Strange Place of Religion in Contemporary Artí you speak about the exclusion of religion from contemporary art. Is this ëexclusioní coming from the artistsí part or is it the market which seems to have an aversion towards anything labelled religious? Boiling it down to simply being a side effect of a secular society sounds a bit simplistic, what do you think?
îThe market does have an aversion to religious art (unless it is critical of religion). And also, the exclusion of religion comes from the artists themselves. I donít think that thereís a simple reason; I agree that if you say, ìItís the secular society,î then youíre not explaining much. But on the other hand, if you say, ìItís wrong of the market to exclude religious art,î then youíre not solving anything. A tough issue: thatís why I like it.î
I bring the argument closer to home.
Maltaís art scene (art history) has been heavily influenced by the Roman Catholic Church (Religion) and its artistic treasures. Here I have particularly in mind Mattia Pretiís legacy and the perpetuation of the Baroque aesthetic especially when dealing with religious subjects. In a way Preti has shaped the way the Maltese ëthinkí about religious subjects. Moreover, as an Island the Maltese suffer from a general sense of insularity. Do you know of similar examples and how can we turn the tables on ourselves and profit from these ëexperiencesí?
îVery interesting question. I canít wait to see the Preti ceiling in the church of St. John, and I think you also have a ìBeheading of St. John the Baptistî in the museum.
îThis kind of thing happens very often: smaller countries and regions have influential artists who continue to exert tremendous influence, even if they are far in the past. In Norway, people often think of Gustav Vigeland, the modernist sculptor, who is not known much outside Norway. In Argentine, there is Maccio, a painter they think of like Pollock, or Picasso. In China, there is an entire tradition of modernists who are not known outside China, beginning with Lin Fengmian. In Slovenia, there is the modernist Ivan Grohar... there are lots of examples.
îYou ask how you can turn the tables, or profit from the experience. That is a fabulous question, and very difficult to answer. The usual answer has been: make sure young artists leave the country, and study internationally. But the best answer is: encourage the local art scene, and make sure that it is healthy enough to support a really interesting artist when one comes along. In the Czech Republic, there is Jan Zrzavy: a truly wonderful artist; he is not known outside the Czech Republic, but he is one of the twentieth centuryís most innovative painters.
In ëWhy Art Cannot Be Taughtí you analyse the dynamics of ìteachingî art. What are the qualities which aspiring art-teachers should develop?
îArt teachers need to be spectacularly inspiring and engaged. I say that because, as Iíll say in my talk, I donít think art teachers actually teach art. They teach all sorts of other things, but you canít teach art the way you teach, say, geometry. That used to be possible, but not any more.
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