Cheap Copies, Art, and Some Mike Crawford Goodness

Is this really an attempt to “rip off” someone else’s art, or is this just a case of being similar? I understand and really do agree with the point you are making that rather than being authentic often times the Church settles for a Christianized copy of something the world already has (i.e. Christian music). But in looking at these two covers, I honestly don’t know if this really illustrates the point you’re making. I’d like to hear from the artist of the Third Day cover and hear how about he/she came up with the idea.

Maybe there is more here to the story that you know and didn’t share; it just seemed you were coming off a tad harsh to make your point.

There’s my 2 cents…spend away!

maybe it was a tribute. a xian band paying homage to the album art of a secular band, that makes us all unoriginal. when a secular artist honors or “rips off” anothe secular artist would we say the same?

i wonder, do you make a distinction between christian creative art and organized worship? Third Day treats their concerts as worship services. While we are “living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God,” thus making all aspects of our lives worship, I see your criticism as something that polarizes the divde between those who are and are not artistic, be they christian or not.

I read this post with a ‘so what’ feeling until I got to the last paragraph where you said, “in my (perhaps not so humble opinion) Christianity and its creative culture (or lack thereof) is hemorrhaging from sentimentality, inauthenticity, and a fixation with manipulating people to a predetermined destination without reckoning the importance of the journey or the cost of what is lost when we know what will happen before the creative process even begins.

That is not art. It is propaganda. It is killing us.”

Ok, so I am not sure it is killing us, but it has killed our creative ability to engage and react to the world. In that sense, your hyperbole is well placed. Thanks for the thought.

I agree with you completely. This is why I hate the “christian” music or media industry. There are a lot of Christian’s who make amazing, creative, authentic art, but alot of the so-called “christian” media comes off manipulative and half-assed. This has been a pet-peeve of mine for as long as I can remember.

I hope I’m not the only one who appreciates the delicious irony of this post being a copy of a copy…

delicious, indeed. I was wondering when someone would pick up on that, Jason. ;-)

Hey gang,

Thanks for the feedback. I didn’t originally intend this to be an EV post, but Steve asked if I minded it going up here. I said no and here we are. Which is fine, however my personal blog has a context for my writing, whereas here it is different.

I have written a second, follow up post this morning clarifying what is being said, and what is not. If you are inclined check it out:

http://www.timkeel.com/timkeel/2008/08/cheap-copies-fo.html

Tim

Least we forget Audio Adrenaline’s “Under Dog” sounding like Sugar Ray