The Secret of Kells: The Importance of Art

 

Image not mine; credit to the original owner.

"Oh, Sam," you say, with a sigh. "I thought we were done talking about art? You haven't brought it up for AGES."

HA. My gentle reader, we are never done talking about art. And the only reason you haven't had a post about it sooner is that I started drafting a post about it last winter, but never finished the draft, and then lost my train of thought. It was very sad. 

HOWEVER. I am here to remedy the lack of art-nerdery on the blog! It's December! A beautiful time! A good time to talk about beauty!

Not too terribly long ago, I watched The Secret of Kells for the third time. (In fact, I actually watched it twice in one month, oops.) If you're not familiar with this gorgeous, sweet, utterly charming, and rather haunting animated movie, then get thee to the nearest source of it, and watch it immediately! (It's only just over an hour long. You totally have time to watch it.) 

It's set in an Ireland-ish place back during the Dark Ages, when Vikings would attack monasteries regularly, and gives an imaginary backstory for the Book of Kells, a beautiful illuminated book of the Gospels dating from the 9th century. It imagines an abbot who is so desperate to protect his monastery that he pulls all the resources into building a huge wall, and his nephew, Brendan, who, when a man arrives carrying a beautiful illuminated manuscript, will do almost anything to help him bring the project to fruition. 

(A quick warning...there will be a few spoilers in this post. Not for the entire plot, but for the ending. It's necessary, for what I'm going to be talking about, I think.)

It's animated in an absolutely gorgeous stylized way, apparently inspired by Irish art. The whole movie is eye candy, although it does take a few minutes to get used to how the characters move. 

Oh, and some folkloric characters make it in, too. 

But what I'm actually here to talk about is the plot and themes of the movie. One of the most important themes throughout the story is the conflict between productivity or products and art, as embodied by the Abbot, who's building a wall around the monastery, and Brother Aidan, the illuminator.

The Abbot is convinced that he's going to protect the monastery by building an enormous wall around it and keep everyone within safe from the Vikings. He pours all of his resources and time and planning into this wall, and pours all of the resources of the monastery into it, as well, keeping the monks out of the Scriptorium as much as possible, and working on the wall, instead of illuminated art. 

But when Brother Aidan, the illuminator, arrives, he quickly recruits Brendan to help him work on the Book of Iona, his current illuminated manuscript. The process takes Brendan into danger several times, and thoroughly exasperates the Abbot, who cannot understand why anyone would work on an illuminated book, when the monastery is not totally secure. It's just not important to him at all, and he sees working on it as an extreme act of foolishness. 

And then, the Vikings come. Despite the wall, they break into the monastery, and begin to lay waste to the place, killing many, and taking much. Brendan and Brother Aidan flee, leaving the Abbot to wonder if they're even still alive. 

Brendan and Brother Aidan survive, and finish the Book, which is then entitled the Book of Kells. Brendan returns to Kells to find his uncle an old man, still clutching a scrap of illumination that he, Brendan, had done as a young boy. (Not so coincidentally, it's a round piece of illumination that looks a bit like a Host). He says of the piece of illumination that it's his only comfort, and he is utterly flabbergasted, overjoyed, and humbled when Brendan himself appears, bearing an entire illuminated book.

The Abbot has discovered a truth about art. While the works of men, like walls, are useful for a time (no one is saying that protecting his monastery from the Vikings is a bad goal--it was, in fact, a good goal, pursued in the wrong way), art endures. (While it is made by people, and thus perhaps a 'work of men', it has a transcendent quality to it that is mysterious, and one would argue that for art to be good, one has to somehow invite God into the work.) Art has a power that is more comforting than all of the walls in the world. 

Beauty reminds us of all that is true and good in the world. Beauty brings the heart and the mind to God. As Dostoevsky says, beauty will save the world. Perhaps an exaggeration; perhaps not. After all, Beauty has already saved the world, and it is His coming that we celebrate in ten days. ;)

And the overall message that the film drives home, along the lines of this theme, is that art is worth it. 

Art is worth hiding from the abbot and staying up late to create.

Art is worth fleeing from the Vikings to protect.

Art is worth crying over, rejoicing over, and dying to protect. 

Art is worth it. 

Beauty is worth it.

That is what will save the world, keep civilization alive, if underground, and pass on a message to generations yet to come. 

The Book of Iona is just as important as the walls, not because it's going to protect the monastery, but because it's going to protect civilization, it's going to protect knowledge, and it's going to share beauty. 

And in a world where art is increasingly overlooked, in favor of productivity--arts programs are underfunded, people don't visit museums nearly as much--a movie that, while being a work of art on its own, emphasizes the importance of art to people, to the human condition, is most welcome. 

(I think you should watch it. :))

So! Have you thought about art recently? What were your conclusions? Have you seen The Secret of Kells? What's your favorite animated movie?