Michael Klumpp: “I personally think God is fine with art and artists.”
May 2nd, 2008 by Menachem Wecker
Mike Klumpp (see his very informative and gorgeous site here) is both an artist and a graduate of Dallas Theological Seminary. He is an actor, comedian, director, poet, author, and martial artist. The photo is from his site.
MW: Did your studies at Dallas TS focus on religion and art? Does the school have much of a focus on that topic?
MK: Dallas TS was almost resistant to art when I was a student. However, they have changed their stance over the years. Now they are promoting a program which has a great deal of concentration on biblical expression through the arts.
MW: To what extent have you found people who study religion in academic or theological settings to be well versed in religious art?
MK: Unfortunately, people who study in these settings are generally poorly in tune with art as either a philosophical or spiritual expression. Most have little or no grasp of the history of art and
literature and how either have been part of religious expression in various cultures.
MW: Do you consider your acting, comedy, poetry, and writing to be religious art per se? What, if anything, are some of the religious themes that arise in your work?
MK: I do not believe in religious art or Christian art. I believe that it is impossible to separate an artist from their world view. Therefore, if an artist is a Christian, Christian themes will emerge within the genre.
There are those who desire to do “religious art” and set out to use a medium as a platform for promoting a point of view. This work is generally more applied arts than fine arts. Therefore, it tends to lack the great energy and impact of more universally profound work.
There are Christo-centric themes in my work which arise due to my immersion in biblical literature. And I have written as applied art for specific audiences including Christians. Much of my work centers on life and death and therefore reflects questions and comments relative to these concepts. ie - life after death, the reality of a Creator.
MW: Is there any such thing as a religious artist?
MK: On one hand, all art is potentially religious as it synthesizes life and life is in my opinion a spiritual journey. On the other hand, as I said earlier, it becomes applied art when we are intentionally manipulating artistic inspiration to develop a theme and promote a position.
MW: Who are some of your favorite contemporary artists whose works focus on religion?
MK: Michelangelo, T.S. Elliot, Bach, Hayden, Arvo Paart, Dante, Milton
MW: What are some of the challenges religion presents for art-making?
MK: I can only speak to Christianity. The challenges are only those that are presented by the church as it relates to the artist. I personally think God is fine with art and artists. Especially in the fundamentalist circles there is a misunderstanding of art and artist. Therefore, the artist and his work are often rejected.