Published in the Allamakee Journal, November 19, 2003
By Sandra Knebel
If you had to chose one word to define who you are, what would it be? The word can be a descriptive adjective or a noun that you particularly relate to, or any other word that just feels right. The word can define where you are now, a prevalent feeling, or a dominant struggle in your life.
Laura Gentry, Pastor of Our Savior’s Lutheran Church in Lansing and the Waterville Lutheran Church, and her husband, Pastor William Gentry, asked 100 people that question. The rather intriguing answers are the subject of a book that will be available early next year.
The book is a collection of photos of those who participated in the project. Each is wearing a T-shirt with their defining word on the front. Each photo is as expressive as the words themselves. Can you picture ‘Free’, or ‘Indubitably’, or ‘Shining’, or Extremely’?
The book works in a number of ways. First, it encourages the reader to delve into themselves to find that one word they feel best captures their personal essence. Second, to look at the 100 people, their photogenic expressions of who they are, and the words they chose. And third, to wonder why. Because the reasons for the choices are not given. "We wanted it to be art," Laura explained. "And art requires that the viewer bring their own ideas, emotions and expertise to the piece. Each word hints provocatively and then you get to make up your own story.
"The Living Word shows portraits of people who are fascinating in and of themselves. Then there is that one word as a huge hint as to who that person is or what is at the core of their being. The viewer gets to fill in the gap. Maybe you are guessing right and maybe not, but at least you are engaging art as the viewer."
According to William, "Since we all have working definitions of most terms, to try to discern why another person has chosen a particular word, I think that aids in the complexity of terms. Knowing that the person chose the word for themselves but not knowing why or what it means to them in comparison to what the word might mean to us continues to feed the art itself."
Continuing, Laura says, "Giving ourselves our own word is empowering. It allows us to label ourselves – no more letting the world determine who we are. In this case, our participants say, "I chose who I am; I chose my own label and I am going to wear it (referring to the T-shirt) with pride."
The project’s title was derived from the Bible. In explaining, Laura says, "The Bible speaks of Christ being the living word of God. He was the incarnation of the word. So we used the religious metaphor that each person brings their word to life. And they are that living word."
The "Living Word" project is only one of the artistic endeavors of this very talented couple. Forget cookie cutter ideas. Laura and William think outside the box.
Laura’s innovative thinking was very evident in her last project, "Seen But Rarely Heard, Voices of Adolescent Girls." This exhibit, which debuted in Decorah at Luther College, traveled throughout the United States. Locally it was exhibited in June at the Community Center in Lansing.
The exhibition consists of a dozen life-size, free-standing wooden cutouts of adolescent girls from around the country. On one side of the cutouts are the full-size, painted portraits of the girls themselves, and on the other are excerpts of comments they made in interviews about their experiences, ideas, and struggles.
One of William’s recent projects, "Portraits of Seniors" gives a whole new perspective to age. This project, according to Gentry, evolved from his pastoral work in care centers and nursing homes. He says, "I am fascinated with senior’s countenance – it chronicles the years of their life. Every line, discernible blemish and distinctive character has served well to document a story that cannot be fully told in words. Narratives are found in appearances, not the full narrative, but a very large part of our understanding of a person is how they appear to us physically."
The butterfly, a favorite of many people, was chosen as the focus of another of Laura’s artistic explorations. Her series of paintings, entitled "Resurrection" explores the butterfly symbol. She says, "The butterfly is an ancient symbol of re-birth of new life arising from the ashes of death. These large, brightly dancing butterflies are intended to resonate with our inner longing to find hope in the face of despair, to discover renewal in the midst of loss and pain, and to perceive death as but the gateway to eternal life." Indeed, she adds, "The "Resurrection" paintings are born of faith."
At the heart of the Gentry’s marketing process for The Living Word, Seen But Rarely Heard, Portraits of Seniors, Resurrection, William’s infrared photography landscapes, and other artistic endeavors is the computer. Not all projects lend themselves to traveling exhibits and traveling in itself does not lend itself well with the schedules of these two very busy local pastors. Their website, www.thegentryjoint.com, is the ideal form for the immediate dissemination of their work.
More than a marketing tool, Laura and William both appreciate the interactive initiatives of the online approach. "The internet provides a connection with the reader that other forms lack," they say. The Gentry Joint is a personal site, well developed, that provides a format to not only share their art, but share who they are, as well as dialog on a personal basis with people who are interested in their work.
William sums up the internet site as, "Our window to the world. Someone once said that those who had missed out on the invention of television – those who missed sharing their worship services through this new medium – missed out on a tremendous opportunity. The internet will be ten times what television is in terms of distributing capabilities. It is a tremendous vehicle for sharing what we do and dates and locations for our exhibits. We describe our website as ‘a virtual place to contemplate’ and invite everyone to visit us at thegentryjoint.com.
By Sandra Knebel
If you had to chose one word to define who you are, what would it be? The word can be a descriptive adjective or a noun that you particularly relate to, or any other word that just feels right. The word can define where you are now, a prevalent feeling, or a dominant struggle in your life.
Laura Gentry, Pastor of Our Savior’s Lutheran Church in Lansing and the Waterville Lutheran Church, and her husband, Pastor William Gentry, asked 100 people that question. The rather intriguing answers are the subject of a book that will be available early next year.
The book is a collection of photos of those who participated in the project. Each is wearing a T-shirt with their defining word on the front. Each photo is as expressive as the words themselves. Can you picture ‘Free’, or ‘Indubitably’, or ‘Shining’, or Extremely’?
The book works in a number of ways. First, it encourages the reader to delve into themselves to find that one word they feel best captures their personal essence. Second, to look at the 100 people, their photogenic expressions of who they are, and the words they chose. And third, to wonder why. Because the reasons for the choices are not given. "We wanted it to be art," Laura explained. "And art requires that the viewer bring their own ideas, emotions and expertise to the piece. Each word hints provocatively and then you get to make up your own story.
"The Living Word shows portraits of people who are fascinating in and of themselves. Then there is that one word as a huge hint as to who that person is or what is at the core of their being. The viewer gets to fill in the gap. Maybe you are guessing right and maybe not, but at least you are engaging art as the viewer."
According to William, "Since we all have working definitions of most terms, to try to discern why another person has chosen a particular word, I think that aids in the complexity of terms. Knowing that the person chose the word for themselves but not knowing why or what it means to them in comparison to what the word might mean to us continues to feed the art itself."
Continuing, Laura says, "Giving ourselves our own word is empowering. It allows us to label ourselves – no more letting the world determine who we are. In this case, our participants say, "I chose who I am; I chose my own label and I am going to wear it (referring to the T-shirt) with pride."
The project’s title was derived from the Bible. In explaining, Laura says, "The Bible speaks of Christ being the living word of God. He was the incarnation of the word. So we used the religious metaphor that each person brings their word to life. And they are that living word."
The "Living Word" project is only one of the artistic endeavors of this very talented couple. Forget cookie cutter ideas. Laura and William think outside the box.
Laura’s innovative thinking was very evident in her last project, "Seen But Rarely Heard, Voices of Adolescent Girls." This exhibit, which debuted in Decorah at Luther College, traveled throughout the United States. Locally it was exhibited in June at the Community Center in Lansing.
The exhibition consists of a dozen life-size, free-standing wooden cutouts of adolescent girls from around the country. On one side of the cutouts are the full-size, painted portraits of the girls themselves, and on the other are excerpts of comments they made in interviews about their experiences, ideas, and struggles.
One of William’s recent projects, "Portraits of Seniors" gives a whole new perspective to age. This project, according to Gentry, evolved from his pastoral work in care centers and nursing homes. He says, "I am fascinated with senior’s countenance – it chronicles the years of their life. Every line, discernible blemish and distinctive character has served well to document a story that cannot be fully told in words. Narratives are found in appearances, not the full narrative, but a very large part of our understanding of a person is how they appear to us physically."
The butterfly, a favorite of many people, was chosen as the focus of another of Laura’s artistic explorations. Her series of paintings, entitled "Resurrection" explores the butterfly symbol. She says, "The butterfly is an ancient symbol of re-birth of new life arising from the ashes of death. These large, brightly dancing butterflies are intended to resonate with our inner longing to find hope in the face of despair, to discover renewal in the midst of loss and pain, and to perceive death as but the gateway to eternal life." Indeed, she adds, "The "Resurrection" paintings are born of faith."
At the heart of the Gentry’s marketing process for The Living Word, Seen But Rarely Heard, Portraits of Seniors, Resurrection, William’s infrared photography landscapes, and other artistic endeavors is the computer. Not all projects lend themselves to traveling exhibits and traveling in itself does not lend itself well with the schedules of these two very busy local pastors. Their website, www.thegentryjoint.com, is the ideal form for the immediate dissemination of their work.
More than a marketing tool, Laura and William both appreciate the interactive initiatives of the online approach. "The internet provides a connection with the reader that other forms lack," they say. The Gentry Joint is a personal site, well developed, that provides a format to not only share their art, but share who they are, as well as dialog on a personal basis with people who are interested in their work.
William sums up the internet site as, "Our window to the world. Someone once said that those who had missed out on the invention of television – those who missed sharing their worship services through this new medium – missed out on a tremendous opportunity. The internet will be ten times what television is in terms of distributing capabilities. It is a tremendous vehicle for sharing what we do and dates and locations for our exhibits. We describe our website as ‘a virtual place to contemplate’ and invite everyone to visit us at thegentryjoint.com.
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