Sacred Art: Creation and Symbolism (continued)

Nowadays, stained glass windows have lost their didactic role following the example of the Breton Calvary; in fact, our priests no longer use them for their catechesis. On the other hand, the formal style of plastic arts having evolved, I still bind myself to the quest of a graphical symbolism that concurs and is in complete agreement with the Cistercian frame of mind. Applied to the various architectural styles in which I work, I do not set traditions aside, for they serve as laying foundations.

On a personal level, I want my stained glass windows to serve as a support for prayer and meditation. With the body not moving, it is the soul that treads the path leading to God; the mind might be this path. Because the sanctuary, along with all its surrounding elements, forms a whole entity, there must be a constant, never-ending quest of unity. It is finally the integration of the collective work into an era in which the trend is that of individualism. And sacred Art has three enemies which I struggle with at each moment; these are fashion, easiness, and artificiality. This obligation of submitting oneself to this rule constitutes a lesson in modesty that is very often forgotten and disregarded in contemporary creation.

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If the real is nothing but an illusion, are we then able to go beyond it? The language known as "non-figurative" or "non-representational" is one means to reach this unreal. The artist who uses this mode of expression is, very often, misunderstood by the public. Why is it? Simply because the reflection of the real is easier to come to grips with than the depths of the unreal; the latter requires more culture and, especially, the task of understanding! In other words, the idea we foster of the interest or the depth of a work does not depend on its immediate readability.

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