Romanesque churches inspire artist

Story and Photo By Faith Castle

After being inspired by the Romanesque churches, artist Ellsworth Kelly transformed the way religion was incorporated into modern art, a guest speaker told art enthusiasts Sept. 21 at the Blanton Museum of Art.

Joan Holladay, an art history professor at The University of Texas at Austin, highlighted during the “Ellsworth Kelly Series” how Kelly’s innovative art style combined simplicity with religion. Holladay, an expert on Romanesque art, explained how his art helped pioneer a new genre that encouraged personal interpretation and gave a sense of peace, which was inspired by his visit to the Romanesque churches in Paris, France.

“All these elements come together dramatically,” Holladay said. “In fact, this period is sometimes called the renaissance of the 12th century. In other words, a revival of something that had gone before, specifically ancient Rome.”

Holladay said many different aspects make up Kelly’s art, which is an amalgam of references to art from different times and places. His art is a truism that can be applied to many 19th, 20th and 21st century examples of religious structure in both the U.S. and Europe.

Romanesque churches were a part of the 11th and 12th century architecture in medieval Europe. In comparison to previous architecture structures, Holladay said, these were “striking innovations” made with large scale stone buildings, including stone vaults and stone sculptured into the building fabric.

Kelly toured various Romanesque churches during his visit to France in the mid-20th century and became inspired by their unique sense of color and structure. These buildings became one of his leading inspirations for his art, Holladay said, but it was hard to identify which particular Romanesque churches he observed.

Kelly used dramatic elements, such as color blocks, from the sacred place as inspiration to create his own sacred art that continues to resonate with his fans today. Penny Snyder, Ellsworth Kelly series coordinator, said this event was created to introduce audiences to Kelly’s work, “Austin”, the only building he designed before his death. He gave it to the Blanton

Museum and the city of Austin in 2015. Snyder supervised the chapel’s photoshoots prior to her new position.

“I’ve been there many times a day. From sunrise to sunset, I love that it’s different every time I go in there,” Snyder said.

However, for University of Texas graduate student, Sarah Farkas, visiting Ellsworth Kelly’s chapel did not resonate with her. She was looking for a sense of peace and meditation but failed due to a crowded visit during the summer.

“To me it was so abstract that it was a bit of a difficult piece to get into, for me,” Farkas said.

Gilles Heno-Coe said his friend Kelly wasn’t necessarily religious but was spiritual and wanted these elements to be interpreted with an open mind. Heno-Coe admitted he didn’t feel anything on his first visit but after a couple of additional visits, he started to realize how the chapel brought him a sense of freedom.

“It’s nice when we can be aware of the simple, good things in life,” Heno-Coe said, a doctoral student in art history.  “And I think Kelly’s work does that.”

According to Heno-Coe, it didn’t take time for Kelly to become popular, unlike many other artists, because his art brought a sense a joy during a toxic, political climate in the mid-20th century. Heno-Coe said he believes citizens today could use Kelly’s chapel as an escape to free their mind of any political polarization or political anxiety.

“There’s a tendency to think black and white about everything,” Heno Coe said, as he stood in front of the sea of colors that streamed down the chapel’s walls. “I think it’s good to come to a place to clear your head and remind yourself that there are good people in the world.”

Holladay and Heno-Coe said they believed Kelly was heavily inspired by the Romanesque churches through its strong spiritual elements and he, in return, wanted to provide that for his audience.

“I think it blew him away,” Heno-Coe said. “I think he was completely in awe of how such simple forms and space, geometries and colors can create a profound and enjoyable experience.”

The Blanton Museum has two more speeches and events on Ellsworth Kelly this year, one of which Heno-Coe is the guest speaker. However, Snyder said the museum will continue to host events throughout the year and have space open for the public to get the Ellsworth Kelly experience.

After hearing Holladay, Farkas plans to return to the museum to see if she can get a different vibe.

“After this, I would consider taking people who came to visit to come see and share the information that was given on this talk because I found it fascinating,” Farkas said.

While Farkas didn’t grasp the feeling she wanted from the art initially, Holladay explained this is completely normal. She concluded her speech and discussion by clarifying Kelly’s art will give everyone a different emotion each time.

“You bring what kind of mood you have to the museum or chapel. At the second level, you bring whatever kind of training you have,” Holladay said. “No two people will ever see a work in the same way.”

Faith Castle is a second-year journalism student from Wichita Falls, Texas. You can follow her on Twitter @faithcastle21