Will they know Dr. King from his memorial in Washington DC?

This review from the New York Times of the new Martin Luther King Jr. memorial reads it primarily as a failure to capture the spirit of Dr. King and his legacy.  The reviewer writes several insightful things, but, without having seen the sculpture in person, I can't say for sure whether I agree totally.  One thing the memorial does capture is the fact that the struggle embodied by Dr. King is not over.  However, the monument could have been more dynamic, and the pose of Dr. King with crossed arms and a stern look on his face seems more defensive and disappointed than active and affirmative.  If you really want to know what the civil rights struggle was like, I recommend reading the three-volume history of the movement by Taylor Branch, which I reviewed on my book blog.  The photos from the movement and video that played nationwide during the struggle probably make a more fitting monument to Dr. King than this static sculpture ever could.

Make something beautiful

For a long time, I've used this blog to express opinions and share my thoughts on the news or other events.  I've decided I also need to use it for a different purpose -- to make something beautiful.  There are many, many critics out there.  The easiest thing to do when I sit down at my computer is to be critical and opinionated and try to carve out some special meaning out of events that will stand out among the billions of blog pages out there.  Instead, I am challenging myself right now to create something that will stand the test of time -- something people will actually want to read.  It's difficult for me to get out of the critical, ego-driven mode of blogging and into some other mode, especially since my audience right now is pretty much a few friends and family, plus some random people who find this blog through a search and spammers.  I had hoped to have a wider audience, but it seems that's not something that just happens -- one has to work for something like that.

So, I'm definitely open to suggestion as far as what to do with this blog next, but here's a start -- something beautiful in my estimation.

"You Are Beautiful"

The photo above may be part of a larger art project, I'm not sure, but it is interesting to note that it is all about the message.  The words have been damaged by vandalism and graffiti, but they are still an important message that people ought to hear.  The artist or whoever installed these words under a freeway overpass intended them to speak to everyone, and it raises some interesting questions: can everyone truly be beautiful?  are the ugly aspects of the world more powerful than beauty?  does saying something like this make it true?  what does God think about all this?

To speak highly of someone is difficult sometimes -- we all have faults, and we all have insecurities that keep us focused on the negative aspects of ourselves and other people.  I think God would say that we are all beautiful -- we are all His creatures, and we are all His children.  We distort ourselves and make ourselves proud, though, if we don't acknowledge that God is the source of this beauty.  Artists sometimes point us toward God and sometimes take on God's creative role and try to out-do God in making something beautiful.  They can end up making provocative art or reassuring art or anything in between, but God made us to be creative people -- that's something that makes us like God, unique among his creatures -- our creative ability.

So, I don't have a problem with this type of art installation.  I love the message, and the gritty surroundings only make that message more important.  I wonder, though, if everyone who reads that sign will ultimately be drawn closer to God, or if they will go more on their own way.  I'm not intending this blog post to be critical, though, so I should probably stop here.  I'm not really an art critic, and I've lapsed back into a critical mode here.  I wanted to share something unique that I found on the Internet, and I've ended up interpreting it critically.  Maybe I'll have something more beautiful to share next time.

Another Thing I Love About Journalism

Is the way it captures history in the moment. Here's an essay with illustrations from the New York Times that I hope proves that point. I love the interplay of personal memory, art, and liberal ideals in the best sense of the word.