God, The Original Creative Visual Artist

As a visual artist, once I became a Christian I was acutely aware of the absence of the visual arts in the lives, homes and churches of many Protestants.   In my quest to find evidence of art and artists in the scriptures, my research led me to the book of Exodus. There, I found that God is a visual artist who had an aesthetic vision for the building and furnishing of the tabernacle, and that He commissioned artists to execute His vision.

And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, see, I have called by name Bezaleel… I have filled him with the spirit of God, in wisdom, and in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship, to devise cunning works, to work in gold, and in silver, and in brass, and in cutting of stones, to set them, and in carving of timber, to work in all manner of workmanship. And I, behold, I have given with him Aholiab… and in the hearts of all that are wise hearted I have put wisdom, that they may make all that I have commanded thee: the tabernacle of the congregation, and the ark of the testimony… and all the furniture of the tabernacle… and the altar… and the holy garments for Aaron the priest… according to all that I have commanded thee shall they do. Exodus 31:1-11 KJV

In addition, I found that God commissioned the embroidery of pomegranates on the priests’ robes in the colors of blue, purple, and scarlet.

And beneath upon the hem of it thou shalt make pomegranates of blue, and of purple, and of scarlet… Exodus 28:33 KJV

In nature, pomegranates are purple and scarlet, but they are not blue. The fact that God commissioned blue pomegranates is evidence that He viewed them from an abstract point of view, altering their natural color in the embroidered representation on the priests’ robes from His vantage point as an abstract visual artist… definitely something to ponder.

Originally published in Chiaroscuro Magazine now located here at http://chiaroscuromagazine.wordpress.com/

Artistic Abstraction.  Mixed Media.