Lawrence Klimecki is a deacon in the Diocese of Sacramento. He is a public speaker, writer, and artist, reflecting on the intersection of art and faith and the spiritual "hero's journey" that is part of every person's life.
“If the Iconographic shows man in Heaven, the Gothic shows man here on earth, still struggling, still on the pilgrim path that leads to Heaven.” The Iconographic vs The Gothic The Gothic form is sometimes regarded as a degradation of the Iconographic, a slippery slope that ends in aContinue Reading
“It is a common mistake among artists … to feel that their work must be explicit in spreading and teaching the faith.” Oskar Schindler Following the Nazi invasion of Poland in 1939, property and businesses belonging to the Jewish population were seized by the regime. One of these factories, specializingContinue Reading
“For the Gothic artist the clarity of the image, the truth that was depicted, was more important than an illusion of reality” Buildings in the Gothic Form The artist of the Gothic period strove for simplicity and clarity. They would often sacrifice realism in order to create a work thatContinue Reading
“our lives are a constant struggle, a battle between our old fallen nature and our new redeemed Christian nature.” In the 1999 film “The Matrix,” the heroes of the film, those who fight against deception and oppression are betrayed by their own Judas, a character named Cypher. Cypher makes aContinue Reading
“The cycle of the rise and fall of man continues.” The Morgan Bible is unique in a number of ways not the least of which is the accompanying text that surrounds the images. Within about 100 years of its creation, Latin captions were added to the margins explaining the images.Continue Reading
“Do we live for God or do we live for ourselves? What are our priorities?” It is a matter of priorities. Actor Neal McDonough recently recalled a time when he was fired from the ABC television series “Scoundrels” for refusing to do love scenes with his series co-star. “I wasContinue Reading
“The story of Noah is the story of God uncreating the world in order to create it anew.” In terms of style and symbolism the Iconographic and the Gothic are closely related. The Gothic is sometimes referred to as a more naturalized version of the Iconographic. As contemporary artists rediscoverContinue Reading
“few of us feel worthy of this calling. Isaiah, Peter, and Paul all expressed their feelings of unworthiness when God called them to fulfill their mission.” Adventure Perhaps you remember this. “I’m looking for someone to share in an adventure.” “An adventure? No, I don’t imagine anyone west of BreeContinue Reading
“With the expulsion from the Garden we begin a cycle.” It can be difficult to formulate “rules” for an artistic form because we can almost always find an example that breaks the rule. There really are no rules when it comes to the Gothic form. There is received sacred traditionContinue Reading
“transcendent truths that are always true in spite of relativism, political correctness, or a misplaced sense of politeness.” Saint Augustine of Hippo once said, “When regard for truth has been broken down or even slightly weakened, all things will remain doubtful.” The truth is no longer valued as it onceContinue Reading