On Saturday (Dec. 5th) at 4:58pm Stephen Proctor a.k.a. @worshipvj dropped this tweet: attn media peeps: which would best describe yourself? a lot of science with a littler art – or – a lot of art with a little science? My initial response to Stephen was “honestly think i’m about half science half art rt now & lk it. i was science bf i was art, but gain a better balance everyday”
That question has been pestering me since Saturday. To be honest I’m still wrestling with it and haven’t completely sorted it out in my head yet. I’m wrestling to figure out if I am personally more art or more science. More importantly, however, I’m wrestling to figure out if it matters and if so WHY it matters.
My first step in my search was an attempt at defining “science” and “art.” According to Webster science is the state of knowing; knowledge as distinguished from ignorance or misunderstanding while art is the conscious use of skill and creative imagination especially in the production of aesthetic objects. My initial response was based off of the misunderstanding that art isn’t systematic. But I’m beginning to think it is. Isn’t that part of “conscious use of skill and creative imagination?”I think maybe art is the putting into practice of science (the knowing)
Okay, but what, if anything, does this have to do with worship media and why does it matter? I firmly believe that if you don’t have a philosophy of visual worship you are setting yourself up for failure. Perhaps no philosophy = pure science. A philosophy takes the science (the knowledge) and applies it consciously and practically to a practice, in this case, visual worship. Example: you may KNOW what meaning and significance of different colors. However, unless you consciously use them at the right time in the right environment that knowledge means very little. I would argue that without art you aren’t leading visual worship. You are simply projecting pretty images and maybe some words on a screen. That being said, I also would argue that art is impossible without science (the knowledge). Without science as a foundation art carries much less meaning and significance. Using the color example, if you don’t know the meaning and significance of colors you likely won’t use them at fitting times in worship.
Conclusion (as of now): a balance of both is necessary and it matters because both are needed for a practical philosophy which ultimately determines your WHY of visual worship which is the most important part.
Okay, so do you agree? Disagree? Where do you fall?