Ariana Jumper: Differences is Religious Art 12/4/09

I have noticed that experiencing the holy in art is different for many people. When I lived in New York, the churches were very ornate. There were statues and paintings representing the saints and other religious icons that were either bought by the church or donated by members. The items that were used for the mass were also very ornate. The Book from which the gospel was read was covered in gold. The chalice was also made of gold. For me, this enhanced the holiness of the mass. I knew what was important by what was represented in the art and what was ornately decorated. The churches themselves were also a form of artwork. They looked like little cathedrals and had beautiful designs to their architecture.
When I moved to Virginia, everything I knew about artwork in religion was changed. First, the churches were different. The Catholic churches that we found looked like normal buildings. I did not like it at all. When we found a church to attend, the inside was also different. It was very plain and had a somewhat warehouse feel to it. There were no paintings and very few sculptures. There were no gold objects and everything was simply made. It was strange for me after going to an ornate church in New York for 18 years of my life. Seeing the difference in the two churches allowed me to see how different cultures use religious art to worship.