Heritage Works: An Invitation to Discuss Identity

Abner Hershberger is taking his show on the road. Heritage Works is a reflection of his own life on a midwestern family farm. But his images aren't limited to the John Deere tractors he used in the North Dakota fields. They also include plain coats, coverings and bonnets -- what he calls 'Mennonite iconography.' Along side these mostly somber Mennonite icons he places brightly colored 'flamboyant' 'worldy' images. Like the red necktie he didn't get.

Abner, the ninth of 10 children, grew up on a farm near Fargo, North Dakota. His father was Mennonite deacon and preacher in the Casselton Mennonite Church. Since Abner's interest in art was not seen as an asset at home, this gift was not affirmed. But his painter uncle, Ezra Hershberger at Goshen College inspired him. Abner left the farm to study art. He has taught painting at Goshen College since 1965.

I suggested to Abner that Heritage Works can help us talk about Mennonite identity. Identity is on top of the agenda as we move toward the creation of a new Mennonite Church. The integration of the Mennonite Church with the General Conference Mennonite Church and the Conference of Mennonites in Canada forces us to wrestle with this issue.

Heritage Works will be shown at Lancaster Mennonite Historical Museum, Lancaster, Pennsylvania, April 3-October 30, 1999, and at Historical Sauder Village Greenberg Gallery, Archbold, Ohio. If your local historical committee, or several congregations, would like to host Abner's exhibit, contact our office. --jes

Abner writes about his work. "Heritage Works is an attempt to express and record midwest rural communal life. Having grown up in a Mennonite family and having lived on a farm near Fargo, North Dakota during the formative years, my life and world view were strongly influenced by farm work, reliance on family, and a strong identity with the church community.

"Expression of these influences are sought through imagery that symbolized directness, truthtelling and simplicity which characterized Mennonite life. These virtues find expression through the directness of photo silk-screened images on untreated cotton duck canvas. This is done with a minimum of flair without pretentiousness and usually, in a modes monochromatic style. Occasionally, this spartan approach is contrasted with brightly painted elements which are flamboyant and more embellished, signaling secular society and the lure of 'worldly' enticements. Dividing the painting surface into components symbolizes these disparate entities, in which aesthetically, a harmonious single environment is sought. The objective is an aesthetic, which is driven by integrity of philosophy, theology and practice.

"I approach these new works with concerns that they not be burdened with didactic nor sentimental content. My intent is to stay focused on an aesthetic that combines honest, formal, visual strategies with imagery referencing a heritage associated with simplicity, concerns of peace, and a rural life style. The 'plain' coat, women's head coverings, quilt patterns, and the dove -- a symbol of peace -- are but a few examples of Mennonite iconography.

"Most of all, I am concerned about not exploiting these themes for purposes of nostalgia or commercialization. What is sought is an informed visual expression, which reflects integrity of purpose, a concern for formal painting issues and artistic invention by one who has lived his life in the Mennonite community.

"As a painter privileged to have had graduate studies in fine arts, I want to seek and express that unique vision which a lifetime of Mennonite experience affords. The Mennonite community has never really emphasized serious art-making and continues to be skeptical about its value. The challenge for me is to remain honest to a personal aesthetic, pay homage to a nurturing community, and explore a visual arena that is symbolic, iconographic and spiritual."

Mennonite Historical Bulletin, October 1998