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Seeing a new songThe Psalms ConnectionPaint praiseSEEING A NEW SONG Piquant Editions continue to make a distinguished contribution to the field of Christian arts. This new edition of Anneke Kaai’s work is designed for worship, prayer and meditation. It reproduces a series of abstract paintings, each relating to one or two key verses of a psalm. The artist has worked in collaboration with Eugene Petersen, author of The Message translation of the Bible. Anneke Kaai, who is married to a minister in the Dutch Reformed Church, has exhibited widely, and produced several books of her paintings. In the 60s and 70s she studied at the Gerrit Rietveld Academy in Amsterdam — at a time when, despite the advent of Pop Art, abstract painting was still an important factor in many art colleges. She works in acrylics on plexiglass to produce vivid colours and textures — some paintings are very loose and free, while others have cubistic, structured forms and heavier colours. The question of whether an abstract image can bear the weight of profound religious truth is an interesting one, which has been under discussion throughout the 20th century — ever since the Russian artist Kandinsky produced some of the first abstract paintings in 1911-12. Many artists came to see pure form as a means of direct expression — and possibly the logical goal of art throughout the centuries. Kandinsky, who was a convinced Theosophist, wrote that ‘he wished the perception of his works to be primarily emotional, allowing the viewer to see and “hear” the inner sound of the colours and forms through the subconscious. …producing a “sympathetic and psychological response within the viewer”.’ * Similarly, Anneke Kaai’s paintings set out to give visual form to human emotions — in this case, our response and relationship to God. Our thoughts are directed not only by Eugene Petersen’s contemporary translation of the Psalms but also by his brief commentary on each image, exploring themes such as love, grace, mercy, salvation and praise. This collaboration brings the paintings to life, and suggests that both painter and writer see the word as completing the image. However, without it, one wonders how far it is possible to identify works by Christian artists from among the many abstract paintings made throughout the last century. Anne Roberts,
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