Meet Ontario-Based Artist Laurie-Lynn McGlynn
LAURIE-LYNN MCGLYNN is a painter (oils and acrylics) living in Caledon, Ontario, Canada. (http://g1313.org/portfolio/laurie-lynn-mcglynn/)
CATHOLIC ARTIST CONNECTION (CAC): Where are you from originally, and what brought you to your current city?
LAURIE-LYNN MCGLYNN (LM): I was born in the city of Toronto - have lived all over Canada and parts of the United States when growing up, and later traveled abroad to Scotland, England and France. Both parents are from the Maritime provinces (Nova Scotia and Newfoundland), so I was fortunate to have spent many summers by the sea.
CAC: How do understand your vocation as a Catholic artist? Do you call yourself a Catholic artist?
LM: Although I do not claim to be a Catholic Artist per see, I do not hide it either. However, my practice of art making is not confined to being a reflection of my faith. In my opinion, the two go hand in hand, and cannot be separated. This gift I have, to express myself and to communicate my thoughts about the world around me in a visual way, is completely from God. No argument there. But how I choose to use this tool of communication has been left up to me. I can hone this ability in any way I choose.
Some artists will deny the origin of their gift and continue to make work that pleases the world. Others may choose to build their practice upon the premise of their faith and will advertise it in such a way. Personally, I feel that as long as the work I create is true to who I am and conveys what I want to say, then I have been sincere to my craft and to my Lord for giving me this gift in the first place.
I am in awe of artists who can successfully depict a Christian experience. I say successfully because there are artists who can create religious art with technical proficiency that is reminiscent of early Christian art. However, does this reflect the true nature of the artist and their innermost desire to communicate the sacred? Or is it an imitation of religious art from the past?
What excites me the most as a Catholic artist are those moments when I am creating something with my own hands and an inconceivable joy fills my heart, nudging me to continue. To me that is a true expression of faith.
CAC: Where have you found support in the Church for your vocation as an artist?
LM: Our parish priest, although now retired, has always been a supporter of visual art, especially that which inspires people to open their hearts and be brave…perhaps to share their own talents and gifts with others. There are many people in our communities who have not had the privilege of attending an art school, or any post-secondary institution for that matter. Whenever I am asked to discuss my work or share it for a fundraising activity, I am honored to do so.
CAC: Where have you found support among your fellow artists for your Catholic faith?
LM: Now, this can be a tricky question but I am glad you asked! As a Canadian emerging visual artist, I can honestly say that many of my peers have decided to keep their faith separate from their practice. The reason is mostly due to the nature of the public gallery and how the curator or director feel it will be perceived. It really depends on what the context is, and how the artist chose to frame their faith within that context. For example, when Chris Ofili exhibited The Holy Virgin Mary (1996), there was a huge uproar within the gallery scene, with the public and with the Mayor of NYC threatening to cut funding to the gallery. Many considered this work to be blasphemous and saw it as a purposeful stab at the Catholic church. Yet, the artist himself claimed that the work was not meant to be taken that way … perhaps not to be taken so seriously. Either way, it certainly brought a lot of attention to the artist and his practice, which is fine if you can handle that type of publicity. I feel this is why many emerging artists stay clear of that kind of attention, especially in the early stages of their careers.
CAC: How can the Church be more welcoming to artists?
LM: There was a time when the Church was a patron of the arts, just as the rich and powerful were and still are. In 1999 when Saint Pope John Paul II wrote his Letter to Artists, he brought a lot of attention to the arts and encouraged the faithful to embrace their gifts and talents with the world, for the sake of beauty but also for the glory of God. I feel there is a gap somewhere in how we perceive artists, their status in the Church and what impact the arts can still have on the faithful. Perhaps this needs to begin in the parish, where the simple act of commissioning an artist to create a piece for the Church. The parishioners will all see the work, some will like it, others may not. But the artist will have contributed to parish life, to worship etc. There are plenty of other ways in which the Church could embrace the arts as a vital link in the community, but I fear it will take over the interview!
So far, I have come across a great deal of support from the Orthodox Church in our area. Unfortunately, I have yet to find the same support for the arts in our local parishes.
CAC: How can the artistic world be more welcoming to artists of faith?
LM: Another brilliant question! It depends on how important this is to the artist and how they perceive their practice. As stated earlier, I do not include my faith as part of the description of my practice. The process of creating is what is sacred to me, and forms a bond between my soul and my God. However, if I were creating work that was meant to be taken in a religious or faith based context (iconography for example), I would most likely work within that paradigm and hope that my parish could help promote my work to other parishes. I would not expect public galleries to be open to accepting my work unless it was within the theme of an exhibition. But that is just my experience, and it could be quite different for others depending on where their art is exhibited and how it is promoted.
CAC: Where do you go to get inspired?
LM: Having formed my own collective, may be an answer here! I was weary of not being able to share my faith with my cohort in art school, so I decided to put a small group together. Our goal is bring together talented artists from a variety of disciplines, and perform together. We are called MOTUS and we are dance, music, choral vocals, libretto, and digital technology…and we all have faith. We come together in a welcoming environment which allows each of us to relax in the knowledge that we are all there because of God. Now where do we go from here?
MOTUS is a great example of how my visual and written tools of communication are also expressions of my love for God, for Christ and for God’s people. The prose I write is sacred and honours our Lord in every way imaginable … from the tiniest breath of spring to the turmoil we humans face each day. The only way I could do this, or find an audience for it, was just to get a few people together with similar ideals and it went from there. If it is Gods will, nothing will stop it.
CAC: What is your daily spiritual practice? And if you have a spiritual director, how did you find that person? If you go on retreats, where do you like to go?
LM: My retreat experience has been group-based, but I am currently preparing for a monastic contemplative retreat in another province. The abbey is located outside of Montreal, Quebec, and follows the Benedictine rule of monastic life. My spiritual director is a retired parish priest and long time friend of the family. I look forward to engaging in a solo retreat, and speaking with one of the cloistered sisters about a call to be an Oblate. This is something I have been discerning for many years, and I feel now is the time to be proactive.
CAC: What is your daily artistic practice? And what are your recommendations to other artists for practicing their craft daily?
LM: Researching an idea or concept. Writing out my thoughts and feelings. Sketches may or may not come as part of this process. Then the rest will either manifest in the studio or it will phase into something else. Either way, it’s never a lost cause, as everything means something to an artist.
CAC: Describe a recent day in which you were most completely living out your vocation as an artist. What happened, and what brought you the most joy?
Right now! Sitting here writing these thoughts out for you is a reminder of my vocation and how important my contributions are to the world around me. It’s the smallest things that help build the foundation for the big things. There was a time years ago when I was so uncertain about my future as an artist. I worried that unless I studied medicine, became a doctor or nurse, or worked with the marginalized, the poor, children, elderly etc…then how could I possibly be giving back something to God…to His people? But a very good friend reminded me that one does not need to lead a life of service to serve. My gift from God is in many ways a mirror that reflects back the beauty He creates for us. And that is good enough for me.
CAC: How do you afford housing and support yourself as an artist?
LM: My husband is very supportive of my work and we work together to be able to afford what we need in life, and my practice. I receive grants, bursaries, and artist fees from exhibitions. I also work freelance on the side as a content writer.
CAC: What other practical resources would you recommend to a Catholic artist living in your city?
LM: Any way to network is a great way to get started! Joining a local gallery and volunteering a few hours…social media…websites. Attending exhibitions, talking to other artists, entering calls for entry, submitting proposals.
CAC: What are your top pieces of advice for Catholic artists post-graduation?
LM: Know your audience, which means you first must know what type of work you are creating. I dabbled in printmaking while in art school and I will often combine a few lino-block prints in an exhibition. But my medium is paint and I do not enter printmaking calls for entry.
Know what you are good at, and work on that. If you feel called to create work that is meant to enlighten your viewers within a religious context, then make sure you source out your market. Otherwise, you could become disappointed fast. I find that in the very early stages of building an art practice, it is best to take some time to work on your portfolio…make the stuff you love, now that the assignments are over!
Take time to utilize your new skills and apply them to what feels truly you. If you are honest with yourself, and let the work be a true reflection of what you are called to create, not what the art world insists is the next hottest item, then you cannot go wrong! Praying always helps by the way!
A huge thank you to Catholic Artist Connection for opening up this ongoing discussion for artists. I pray that every artist reading this interview will at least take one small thing from it and apply it to their own practice. God Bless.
