Paul Angert
Paul Angert is a Cleveland/Chicago-based Catholic artist currently studying at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.
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Paul Angert is a Cleveland/Chicago-based Catholic artist currently studying at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.
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About
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Artist Statement:
For centuries the Catholic Church has been weaponized in order to assert moral superiority over marginalized groups, legitimize unjust systems of power, and create systematic fear within its subjects (and adversaries) by enforcing doctrine that threatens eternal torment. These tactics remain, as Christian Nationalists in America and around the world continue to hijack Christianity as a weapon to legitimize oppression of political opponents, non-christians, LGBTQ+ individuals, immigrants, women, persons of color, and other minorities. On the contrary, modern philosophy has moved towards theories based on reason alone, conceptions of reality in which theology and Christianity in particular have no place, and are seen as naive attempts at attributing meaning to an otherwise meaningless and chaotic world. As a Catholic artist, it is from within this context that my work emerges as both highly critical of the power structures that lie within modern Christian Nationalist movements, while also suggesting a philosophical structure for contemporary Catholicism. My beliefs are free of the false certainty often spoken with when discussing faith, but rather are based on a decision to believe in a system of beauty encountered in humanity and the natural world, one in which Christ continues to speak even after his death and resurrection.
Iconography, and symbolism have long been used in Catholic art to communicate and spread knowledge of religious beliefs and tradition; however, rather than relying on these well established tropes, my work seeks to invent new imagery based on the lived experience of modernity in order to contend with the reality that just as the world continues to move and change so too does its creator who actively participates in its development.
My sculptural work explores the relationship between the materials of steel, flesh, wood, fabric, dirt, and stone. Steel; the harbinger of war, and man’s futile attempt at asserting his own strength over creation, flesh and wood; the vessels that contain life and soul, fabric; the material of concealment, shelter, and bodily exterior, dirt and stone; the flesh of the earth, scarred by man’s greed. Each of these make up the substance of our material existence, and serve as gateways to a spiritual reality.
I take inspiration from the natural world, the processes of nature, its creatures, and humanity’s contributions to such. I regard humanity not as a species separate from others, but as deeply connected and woven into the framework of creation. My work engages theology, scripture, and various conceptions of moral philosophy, to grasp at spiritual truth, challenging current methodologies of engaging with human existence, and seeking to subvert systems of power and oppression, while finding meaning and beauty in human existence, even amidst intense suffering.