Page 9 - EMCAPP-Journal No. 11
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Christian Psychology




                                        Thomas Pfeufer is
                                        a  self-taught  ar-    martyr. Another one represents a tsunami, Tho-
                                        tist; professionally,   mas  names  it  “Storm  of  Life”.  Biblical  events,
                                        he  enjoys  being  a   such as the dry bones in Ezekiel, find a place in
                                        cook in a company      his art, but lack of communication is also given
                                        kitchen.  Thomas       an expressive form which calls the observer to
                                        began  with  art  in   be authentic.
                                        2001.  He  created
                                        a small box bored      Some make the accusation that his art is scur-
                                        through  and  torn     rilous  because  he  expresses  much  that  is  ne-
                                        open  by  various      gative and also often uses dark colours in this.
             chisels. It was the beginning of a call.                      But if one looks more closely and
             Challenging people to become aware                            inquiringly,  if  one  gets  genuinely
             of suffering, to notice it and not sim-                       involved, these images reflect part
             ply  to  look  away.  Everyone  wants  to                     of  God’s  sadness  over  this  world.
             be  recognised.  Everyone  wants  to  be                      Sadness which carries the beautiful
             seen.  Everyone  needs  others  so  they                      message  that  God  loves  mankind
             can truly be and in order to be able to                       infinitely.
             stand up to the suffering in this world.                      At the same time, this is also the
             A person who is not looked at is like                         answer  that  Thomas  gives.  He  is
                                    someone  bu-                           entirely  able  to  stand  the  tension
                                    ried alive.                            between suffering on one hand and
                                                                           hope on the other and to let both
                                    The materials used co-     of these stand side-by-side. Precisely that hope
                                    ver  a  wide  spectrum.    which does not permit despair, but raises awa-
                                    Stones,  old  doors  and   reness.
                                    keys,  various  words,
                                    paints, car tyres, chairs,
                                    canvases,…  All  these,
                                    and  more  besides,  are
                                    part  of  his  repertoire.
             He is very flexible in his use of them, yet he sees
             great value in each part of his materials. Rusty
             sheet metal is just as valuable in his eyes as gold.
             He treats the materials with great honour. If a
             work  of  art  is  unsuccessful  or  unpleasing,  he
             does not throw it away, but makes something
             new out of it.
                                                               But art wishes to do more than just raise awa-
             Themes with which                                 reness, it wishes to strengthen the health of the
             he concerns himself                               soul, to be a way of doing justice to the calling
             cover a wide range.                               of man, the call to live and love! The soul needs
             They  are  usually                                free space for God, otherwise it withers away.
             events  where  in-                                And colours! On his personal journey of libera-
             justice  dominates.                               tion by art, Thomas discovered how to process
             One of his objects is                             lacquers and foundation layers, which leads to
             dedicated  to  a  sin-                            surprising results: being ground down (by life)
             gle  person  –  Aga-                              creates profile and then, on top of that the co-
             tha – who died as a                               lours of the love of God, uniqueness and beauty.



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