The major exhibition at the Guggenheim Museum, New York last summer was by a Korean artist, Lee Ufan. The exhibition was called “Marking Infinity”. His paintings and sculptures invite the viewer to explore an encounter with “what is” in the world. His life work has developed around carefully placed objects and markings on a canvas to involve the viewer in a relationship between the viewer and the world.
His large sculptures carefully place ordinary objects such as large stones, steel plates, rubber, glass and cushions in ways whereby the viewer can’t avoid an engagement with the works. He calls the viewer to be present to the way he has marked the space in a dialogue leading the viewer to the infinite. Ufan invites the viewer to walk around and through the works so that we are drawn into a sense of being in equal relationship with the whole of creation. The objects mark the spaces in between where we, with the artist and the objects, are drawn to be present to infinity.
This notion of marking infinity by carefully placing ordinary objects which take the viewer beyond what they see, seems to me to be a perfect metaphor for ministry. We are inviting people into a space to wander, play and discover. Like the artist, we have markers to engage those on the journey of life. We can invite them into a scripture story and place a symbol, prayer or word next to it for observation. We can place water, oil, bread and wine in ways that invite their curiosity and challenge them to enter the liminal spaces in between.
Lee Ufan’s art reminds me not to fill up the whole space with objects or words lest I leave no space for the mystery which emerges from the viewer as much as from the artist, and as Lee Ufan would say, even more so, the spaces between.
Yes the spaces in between are where the real action happens. As ministers of word and sacrament, we are called to mark infinity by carefully placing of the ordinary in ways that leave room for the mystery – the extraordinary – to break in. We are called to notice the mysterious space in between the ordinariness of life and gesture toward it, around it and in it – to invite people into the incarnation. Advent is the space with various markers and Christmas is the name of the life mystery we celebrate.
For me this Christmas also means two years as co-editor of The Swag. It has been wonderful and challenging. Working with Hal and Sally is delightful – thanks guys. But having priests report that The Swag is useful for their reflection; practice and spirit is the greatest reward. I look forward to another year on The Swag.
Peter Maher, Co-Editor
