Page 11 - PROOF!v2

A day in the life of a monk at Mount Angel Abbey begins with the tolling of bells at 5 a.m. Twenty minutes later, the men are in the choir stalls of the abbey church for the rst in a series of ve prayer times, called “Hours of the Divine O ce”: Vigils, Lauds, Midday, Vespers, and Compline. It’s part of a daily rhythm that includes contemplation, lectio divina (divine, or spiritual, reading), community recreation, and personal devotions.
Several hours are set aside each day for work, a necessity that’s insisted upon in St. Benedict’s Rule. No one vocation is common to Benedictine monasticism; in fact, depending on the order and the congregation, a monk’s work varies dramatically, from farming to book-binding to teaching. “In my case,” says Lane, “I’m blessed to be able to create icons. at’s my work – that’s how I hope to serve God.”
roughout the day, there’s a stillness that prevails in the monastery. In addition to times of quiet prayer and re ection, silence is diligently cultivated. At night, during the period of time that begins with Compline (evening prayer) and ends with Lauds (morning praise), a “Grand Silence” helps to maintain a prayerful quiet both in the house of God and in the souls of the monks. It is, in a word, a place of peace.
For Brother Claude Lane, the monastic life is key to his work as an iconographer. “An icon starts with a commission,” he explains, “followed by a discussion about what it’s meant to achieve. So we talk about God’s will, which means that you – the person who’s commissioned the icon – need to pray. Yes, the brushes are important, and the paint, and the artist...but it’s ultimately God’s will that we’re trying to accomplish; that His work can be done. I’m just a tool.” And if you’re not praying, says Lane with a smile, “I know.”
“ ese things are about struggle,” he says, “and the best conditions for creating an icon in the midst of such a struggle are what we already have at the abbey: prayer, ve times a day.” For Brother Claude, that’s where the icon begins to take shape. As the monks pray the Psalms, he says, it’s almost as if the Lord permits the act of creation. “I can actually feel myself getting His help.”
“Great work!”
Todd Sackmann, Todd Sackmann Photography
“A wonderful story!” Cary Seward, ILF Media Productions
“Substantial and interesting.” Craig Sweat, J. Craig Sweat Photography
“Amazing! Great job.” Dana Anderson, Avista
“Very impressive work.” Alden Forbes, Venture Design Services
“Beautiful. All the way around.” Marsha Rooney, Northwest Museum of Arts & Culture
“Very well written.” Richard Kurth, Richard Kurth Design
“Insightful window into local talent.” Steve Clark, Clark Architects
Creative Director’s Notes
Over the years, I’ve had the pleasure of visiting Mount Angel Abbey on several occasions – celebrating ordinations and appointments, attending the annual Bach festival, joining in daily
prayers, sharing meals, and exploring the abbey’s world-renowned
library designed by the venerable Finnish architect Alvar Aalto.
Always accompanied by a great deal of hospitality, these visitations have given cause for some insight to the monastic life and the deep commitment these men make toward their calling.
One of my fondest memories was when my uncle, Gary Zodrow
– known by his Benedictine name Nathan – was elected abbot, the
spiritual leader of the religious community as well as chancellor of its seminary. In Nathan’s honor, a large public blessing
and celebration was held at the abbey and in attendance were several family members. Portland’s Catholic Sentinel newspaper covered the event, including a quote I’ve never forgotten: “I always come away from there full of hope because men are praying. Women pray, and that is wonderful, but when men are praying that is really cause for hope.”
It resonated more deeply as I read on, for it was attributed to Nathan’s oldest sister – my mother – Rose. (Nathan led his Benedictine community for eight years, stepping down as abbot in July of 2009.)
I’ve always marveled at Brother Claude’s writing of icons and the place in which his unique storytelling comes to life. The monastery is positioned on top of a hill (it’s often referred to as “the hilltop”), and covered with lush ora alongside well-maintained buildings. And it’s quite possible that
Claude’s studio is situated on the most
beautiful portion of that hilltop. Quiet, peaceful, surrounded by nature and wildlife, a walk to his studio
is inspiring. It’s precisely what you’d expect of an iconographer’s
accommodations – until you enter. From oor to ceiling, Brother
Claude works in a densely populated right-brain space that expresses
both his eclectic interests and an obvious never-throw-anything-away
ethos. Though jarring at rst, the visual clutter seems in perfect balance with the disciplined life of a monk with a taste for classical music.
Knowing that Claude’s work is created so much differently from my own makes it all the more intriguing. No written proposals are required; just a price over the phone will do. Deadlines don’t really exist; only a general seasonal sense of when an icon might be completed – for God’s work has its own timetable. His clients interfere very little in the icon-writing process, as they typically see only the nished results. After all, who are they to question the Divine? And I can only begin to imagine the creative – not to mention nancial – freedom made possible by a vow of poverty.
Thank you, Brother Claude, for sharing your wonderful work from the hilltop. I’m already looking forward to my next visit.
CK Anderson
Photographs by Chad Ramsey
Required Reading for the Smart Set
Everyone’s talking about the inaugural issue of PROOF! (published spring 2009),
which featured the work of Spokane resident Leonid Bergoltsev, one of the nest Russian photographers of the Soviet era. In conjunction with this issue, Johnston Printing released
a series of limited-edition, signed prints of Bergoltsev’s photography, a small number of which are available for purchase at proof.johnstonprinting.com. While there,
you can also request back issues, share
ideas about who you’d like to see featured
in upcoming issues of PROOF!, or leave comments about what you’ve seen so far.