My Experience at the Art Museum

I had the opportunity to spend over an hour in the Museum of Art at Brigham Young University today, and I must say that wandering through the Types and Shadows: Imitations of Divinity exhibit was a very powerful spiritual experience for me. The works of art all spoke of Christ, even though a wide variety of mediums were used, from paintings, to sculptures, to etchings. I was amazed at the beauty of all the artwork and the time it must have taken to the artists to create such masterpieces. But the images were so much more than something beautiful to look at, for they testified of Christ. Some spoke of the Savior obviously by depicting him and his life directly. However, some of my very favorite pieces were the ones which at first glance were not even religious. In fact, when I first saw them I wondered if the curator had made some sort of mistake, because surely this particular piece did not belong in a religious exhibit. But as I took the time to carefully study the piece, dissecting it in my mind, and asking myself questions like "what message is the artist trying to communicate to me?" and "Where is the Savior hidden in the piece, what are the symbols?", the art truly came to life for me. Religious symbols seemed to leap off of the canvas and I was able to see how the piece was an "imitation of divinity". The presence of God in the piece was suddenly so obvious that I questioned why I could not see it before. I was able to relate things elements from the work to my own life and the Savior's presence in it. I attained an important message and significance from each piece in the exhibit, and whether it was the specific message the artist had intended, it certainly strengthened my testimony and made the art relatable and applicable to me.  

Searching for the Savior in all the artwork of the exhibit made me ponder about my own life. There are times in my life when I can feel his presence and hand in my life directly, while attending church or the temple, praying, or receiving a priesthood blessing for example. I think these are like the pieces in the exhibit at the Museum of Art which displayed the Savior clearly and specifically. There are also times on the other hand, when I have to stop, be still, and ponder in order to see his presence in my life. And just as I was always able to find religious meaning in each piece at the Types and Shadows: Imitations of Divinity exhibit, I will always be able to find his hand in my life and feel his love for me, and that is something more beautiful than any piece of art in any museum in the world.