The revival of beauty took a further step forward in Melbourne recently, with the ‘Beholding Beauty’ art exhibition proving to be popular among Catholics from near and far.

Part of the ‘Truth Goodness Beauty Project’, the exhibition at St Peter’s Parish in Toorak in September featured about 50 artworks created by more than 30 Australian Catholic artists.

The works included religious icons and Biblical images, as well as landscape paintings and photography. The weekend-long exhibition concluded with a holy hour of Adoration with sacred music.

Professor Tracey Rowland, who holds the St John Paul II Chair of Theology at the University of Notre Dame Australia, addressed those gathered for the exhibition on its opening night.

“Within the Catholic intellectual tradition some of the names who stand out as great advocates for beauty are St Augustine, St Bonaventure, St John Henry Newman, and in recent times, both St John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI,” Professor Rowland said.

“Beauty is what philosophers call a transcendental property of being. Other transcendental properties are truth and goodness and unity. The American co-founder of the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal, Fr Benedict Groeschel… argued that people tend to have their primary transcendental, the property to which they are most strongly attracted, and he illustrated this theory with reference to the personalities of the saints.

“Someone who was deep into beauty was the late Pope Benedict XVI. When he was a Cardinal he remarked: ‘The only really effective apologia for Christianity comes down to two arguments, namely, the saints the Church has produced and the art which has grown in her womb’.” 

Professor Rowland said the exhibition was an opportunity to “showcase beauty, to celebrate beauty, and to celebrate the beauty of our friendships with one another”.

“To those of you who are the artists and who have created the works on show, a special thanks to you for your gift of beauty to the world. Your affirmation of beauty is also a source of hope and a contribution to the theo-dramatic project of restoring all things in Christ,” she concluded.

Artist Emily Shaw travelled more than four hours to Melbourne for the exhibition. She said her interest in the exhibition came from a desire to support and encourage an Australian initiative promoting art and beauty.

“It was a very professional gathering,” she said. “The exhibition was well set out and featured a range of art styles and mediums. Unsurprisingly, more established traditions like iconography were a big feature but it was great to see lino-cut prints and abstract expressionism feature as well.”

Reflecting on the intersection of art and faith, Emily said she believes “beauty is an integral part of evangelisation”.

“We’re happy to travel to basilicas or to museums to marvel at the beauty created by artisans, but we no longer seem to create beauty ourselves,” she said.

“In a culture saturated with images and content that is often stark, grotesque and controversial, a reorienting towards beauty is long overdue. Beauty draws our gaze upwards and outside of ourselves to the Creator of all things. The same should be said of Christianity and our witness to others. If we can encourage others to behold beauty, perhaps we could be so bold as to encourage them to behold God.”

Event organiser Fr Dean Mathieson OFM Cap said the Truth Goodness Beauty Project had a number of initiatives planned for the future, “to invite all to encounter the love of Christ and strengthen their relationship with Him”.

“The exhibition was part of a larger vision to support and promote Catholic artists,” Fr Dean said.

“And, moreover, to help create a culture and appreciation of beauty, both in the arts and in the liturgy. The ‘Benedetto Creatives’ group started earlier this year, and this was a first major event to invite artists to share their work.

“The Benedetto Creatives group will be having another ‘Evening for Artists’ in the coming months, and a concert in Advent.

“Next year there will be a regular series of ‘Faith and Culture Sessions’ involving international speakers, as well as formation courses, a podcast, gatherings for young families, and… also plans for the Benedict Conference again in 2025.”

Links
Full text – Professor Tracey Rowland’s Keynote Address: Beholding Beauty Exhibition
The Truth Goodness Beauty Project

Images: Kristian Joy Tangso; Professor Tracey Rowland (Jeremy Yuen, Melbourne Catholic)
Words: Matthew Biddle

See more images from the exhibition below. All images are courtesy of Jeremy Yuen, Melbourne Catholic.

{gallery}BeholdingBeauty{/gallery}