‘Quest for Beauty’ Review
A Look Into Creo Arts’ New Film on William Schickel
By Kylie McCormick
Thomas Merton in his book No Man Is an Island wrote:
Art enables us to find ourselves and lose ourselves at the same time. The mind that responds to the intellectual and spiritual values that lie hidden in a poem, a painting, or a piece of music, discovers a spiritual vitality that lifts it above itself, takes it out of itself, and makes it present to itself on a level of being that it did not know it could ever achieve.
Art invites its consumer into transformation and transcendence. Not locked by a medium or style, a purpose or a place, art inspires and informs, invites and interrogates. Merton was clear on the power of art, and so it is no surprise to hear his voice intertwined with the story of Willliam Schickel, a prolific artist whose art invites its participants into the worlds described by Merton.
Artist William Schickel is the subject of Quest for Beauty. The film is part investigation, part inspiration, and part introspection; the film is a journey to understand and experience beauty.
Investigation
Quest for Beauty is, in part, a rich historical investigation into the life of William Schickel. Old family photos and relics are interspersed with narration from Schickel’s son, Joe, revealing how the artist became the artist. We learn that from a young age, Schickel possessed an obvious artistic gift. His talent, stemming from memories of his mother and fostered by grade school teachers, developed into a lifelong pursuit of crafting beauty.
Through this investigation we not only learn about Schickel’s personal and familial life, but we also catch a glimpse of the historical narrative of his art. Through a wide range of mediums, Schickel had an uncanny ability to transform ordinary objects and stories into engaging liturgical pieces of contemporary art. The film tracks these art pieces—from drinking fountains at Notre Dame to barn buildings to totemic pillars, Schickel produced masterpieces throughout his life. This historical lens allows the viewers to understand who was crafting the art, but it is not the only lens present in the film.
Inspiration
It can be argued that humanity has been on a myriad of quests from the beginning of time: the quest for place, the quest for sustenance, and the quest to understand and appreciate beauty. Whether it is the beauty of nature around us or the beauty of the created, humanity has long expressed life through artistic mediums. From early cave drawings to art in the digital sphere, we are compelled to not merely see but to know and experience beauty. Schickel was on such a quest, and the viewer is invited to do the same.
Quest for Beauty begins with a meditative, austere, reflection on beauty. Airy, breathy sound accompanies the images of resonates as pebbled flooring, an altar’s stone edge, a slightly flickering candle, and a strong wooden beam, making way for the voice and created work of Schickel. The images of the film’s opening are raw and natural, beauty seen in its simplicity. The viewer is invited into more visual warmth as Schickel’s paintings and stained glass and buildings and totems weave into each moment.
The work of Schickel highlights the ingenuity of contemporary art, each piece an invitation to rediscover something simple but innately creative. There is no greater example of this than the renovation of the chapel at the Abbey of Gethsemani, a renovation process seen throughout Quest for Beauty. Under Schickel’s vision the chapel was transformed; stripped from its more ornate decoration the chapel became a place that was still, a waiting place for God’s mighty presence.
While controversial, the chapel reconstruction brought a renewed vitality to spaces of worship. As Gregory Wolfe notes in the film, “one of the things that people came to realize about the renovation… is that the stripping away of the decoration, the ornamentation, was an invitation to contemplation, to inwardness.” In the removal of some things, Schickel created a space that invited embodied participation and creation. Like children in a wide open field, those gathered for worship were not distracted by ornate structures; rather they were invited to differing postures of worship. Removing visual clutter, Schickel’s work in all its mediums leaves space for God to speak, the creative sway of color and natural materials hinting at a beauty that can be experienced as one engages in the space or with the work.
And that is inspiring. Schickel’s masterful restraint creates beautiful visual material that invites participation and reflection, and as you watch Quest for Beauty you are not only inspired by what Schickel created but you are also inspired by the way God invites you into deeper revelation through that work.
Introspection
There is a final element in Quest for Beauty that is worth mentioning, because it is a wholly unique aspect of the film. Part investigation, part inspiration, and also, part introspection. Schickel’s life and works weave a tapestry that is colorful and wide, but his story also offers points of resonation that propels others to share their stories in the midst of Schickel’s story.
Part introspection, the emotional heartbeat of the film is the reality that the art and life of Schickel continues to hit at shared human realities, drawing people to find comfort and hope in the midst of Schickel’s work and art. We see this through each story added to Schickel’s, stories of pain and joy and crises, stories of healing and hope and home. The film invites each individual into a story that brings them into a community in which they are not alone; through Schickel’s story we find our own. Through Schickel’s story, we are invited to reflect on our life and the way that creativity and beauty are intertwined in the story we hold.
The Quest for More
Art enables us to find ourselves and to let go of ourselves, a complex journey that intertwines identity with expressions of beauty. William Schickel’s life and work loudly proclaims the importance of this dance. His life and work invite individuals and communities to imagine more as they sit within the creation of God. Quest for Beauty invites us to find and let go, celebrating the life of Schickel while propelling the viewers into a new quest for their own beauty.
Kylie McCormick grew up in a world filled with sound and art and Church. An avid music lover since a young age, she has spent countless hours in concert venues and music festivals. As a pastor's kid and pastor herself, she has also spent countless hours in church communities and small groups. She is passionate about understanding the blurred lines between the sacred and the secular, and hopes to help others find God in surprising spaces. McCormick currently serves as the Director of Community Formation at Asbury Theological Seminary in Kentucky.
