Why abstraction can carry spiritual meaning

One of the reasons abstraction matters in spiritual art is that it does not force the viewer into a single literal conclusion too quickly.

A literal image can tell you what you are looking at.

But abstraction can create space for encounter.

It can carry movement, weight, atmosphere, fire, rest, tension, mercy, light, or presence in a way that is felt before it is explained.

For me, that is often where prophetic art begins — not in decoration, and not in vagueness, but in trying to be faithful to something perceived in prayer that is deeper than illustration alone.

I’m curious how others here experience this:

Do you find that abstraction can sometimes say spiritual things more truthfully than a more literal image can?

Or do you feel most connected to work when the imagery is more clearly defined?

Shown here: Advent 7

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