Church interiors reverting to traditional look

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Love it too! Beautiful. That’s some focus on the altar! Is the tabernacle in that golden-lit part to the right?
 
Once again, I feel like mainly I notice the ceiling. Like that plain brown wooden expanse of ceiling dominates the room. I find it gives kind of a heavy feeling over my head which feels oppressive.
 
christofirst said:
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Along with a different style, I think that very detailed church artwork like this would also serve as something to focus on during Mass in those days. I love the Latin Mass, but if you were an uneducated illiterate person all that artwork gives you something to look, as well as hopefully educate you during a long Mass.
 
Shakuhachi said:
I think that says a lot. Not that clutter = piety but piety these days is not prominent on our culture.
I like things a little more austere, simple and maybe that sounds protestant.
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It makes sense to me. Our lives are so cluttered with work, recreation, computer stuff/phones, news, constant stress, crimes, noise, and everywhere you look, buildings, houses, cars, , shops–and most of it just randomly located with no attempt at design or order.

So a nice, spacious, “clean”, sparsely-deocrated interior is very calming, and for me, it’s easier to concentrate on God in a “simple” space.
 
But then we have to whole baroque part of our history.
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It is enough to make me scream.
 
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Shakuhachi said:
But then we have to whole baroque part of our history.
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It is enough to make me scream.
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We’re very different people, haha. I find the complexity and richness of this artwork transcendent and it transports my mind to thoughts of heaven and God’s glory, and encouragement.

Whereas the bare hallway you posted upthread, I’ll agree that a white wall is good for contemplative prayer – but the lack of artistry enough to even put frames on the windows, or cover (or more artistically incorporate) those expressed overhead beams, would drive me nuts. Plain is one thing, but I hate things that look half-finished.

[ref:]
Shakuhachi said:
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MNathaniel said:
I find the complexity and richness of this artwork transcendent and it transports my mind to thoughts of heaven and God’s glory, and encouragement.
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It gives me a headache. But it is sort of counter-reformational I guess.
 
christofirst said:
You would like the chapel at New Camaldoli Hermitage in Big Sur, if you haven’t already been there. Austere to the max. Nothing to attract or distract the senses
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Reminds me of a chapel I really want to visit in France.
Le Corbussier designed, Notre-Dame-du-Haut in Ronchamp.

 
The RC church where the wedding was originally belonged to a Protestant congregation. The pews were constructed with wooden “dividers” for lack of a better term so that only a few people fit in each section.
 
We were traveling back home and St. Nicholas in Watervliet was the closest UGCC available.
 
Our parish Church has been recently renovated and a mixture of the old and the new. The tabernacle is still in an alcove in the wall to the right of the main altar, but it has really been beautifully done with feature lighting and does stand out. Due to the artistic feature lighting in the main, it does appear as something very important in The Church. The eyes of anyone would be immediately drawn to it I would think.

One of the most moving churches I have ever been in was an Anglican Church dedicated to the Passion of Jesus. Floorboards were completely bare and quite worn and the overall impression was stark simplicity. On the very back wall was a huge cross (not crucifix) with torn and worn purple material draped over it. It did bring immediately to mind that Calvary was not a pleasant sight at all and The Passion of Jesus terrible. I was very moved in that Church reminiscent to me of the stark simplicity of Carmelite monasteries often, at least within the enclosures.
 
I think people are sick of the modern design of some churches, hence why they are turning to a mix of traditional and modern in some places, or more traditional in others. You might want to look up the Painted Churches of Texas. East of San Antonio, there is Prha, High Hill St.John, and other catholic churches built by germans, czechs, and poles where they have painted ceilings, pillars, stations of the cross, and statues.These are small country communities, where there are masses in english, but also in their native languages. These are also considered historical sites too, and the parishioners aren’t that gunho to change things.
 
Well, I don’t know what to say about that one. I don’t want to be snarky.
 
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