Mnich z duchowym wyposażeniem artysty. Sztuka Thomasa Mertona
A Monk with the Spiritual Equipment of an Artist: The Art of Thomas Merton

Summary/Abstract: Born in a family of artists, Thomas Merton was destined to become an artist himself. As a young man, he tried his hand at drawing; he drew the faces of women and saints. Later, distancing himself from representational art, he took to calligraphy and was attracted to abstract art (especially the minimalism of his Columbia friend, painter Ad Reinhardt) which fascinated Merton as an analogue of the apophatic tradition. Towards the end of his life, the monk was attracted to the camera as a tool of contemplation, enabling him to look at the world as it is rather than through the prism of his imagination. This article demonstrates that Merton’s artistic development parallels his evolving spirituality, both of which started with youthful dogmatism and ended with a mature relationship with God, the world, and himself.

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