If The Right Loves Beauty So Much, Why Don’t They Make Good Art?

As an artist, I can count on two or three fingers the creatives I’ve met who are either openly Christian or aligned with the political right. Not only have I found that my fellow artists deeply dislike all things that could be considered conservative, but they also have very valid reasons for not liking Christian or conservative art: it is generally, to put it simply, bad. Christian films, rock, and rap come across as cheesy, overproduced, preachy, and propagandistic, focusing too much on converting nonbelievers or affirming believers rather than making something genuinely moving and beautiful. Conservatives seem confined to over-produced country music, with essentially no presence in visual art, theater, or film. Meanwhile, the Left appears to have everything going for it. The conservatories and art schools, Hollywood, Broadway, the music scene — all of these institutions align with the Left, giving them a monopoly on artistic output and western culture. Thus, if you are an artist, everyone (usually correctly) assumes you are probably also some sort of Marxist or leftist activist, too. 

Historically, this wasn’t always the case. Christians and conservatives have made some of the most impactful and beautiful art that still moves us deeply today. Whether it’s the Sistine Chapel, Bach’s cello suites, the Lord of the Rings, or the Chronicles of Narnia, many generations of artists have been inspired by religious imagery and themes, and their faith or religious curiosity combined with their understanding of the importance of tradition lent undeniable beauty to their work. Since the Right hasn’t been making art that lives up to this standard lately, it begs the question: if they still love beauty as much as they profess, why aren’t they making good art?

Interestingly, the tide of art seems to be turning once more. The Left has largely relied on the postmodern aesthetic of subjectivism and nihilism, rejecting beauty as objective or even essential in art. Unfortunately for them, there’s only so long of a lifespan for ugly art — outside of elite and often pretentious art circles, people really don’t care to see indefinite rehashes of Duchamp’s toilet. We got over the shock decades ago so not only is it ugly, it’s now boring, too. When you’ve declared that “God is Dead,” though, there’s really no solution to this problem. With the spiral of ugliness playing itself out, the ideology of the Left offers no escape route, leaving us with nothing but remakes, propaganda, and repetitive boring art that makes no traceable positive impact on the human soul or the culture.

If the Right loves beauty as much as it says it does, it’s time it focuses on inviting the real artists back. Here’s where it can start.

Make It Clear They Believe Art Is Of Inherent Value

One of the reasons the Right hasn’t been making good art is because they’re too focused on arguing. Art is not a debate, it is not an intellectual thesis, and it is not ideological. If you try to make art with reason alone, your end result will be lackluster and uninspired, more propaganda than art. While the Left has been falling into this trap as of late, the Right has an opportunity to signal to artists that they value real art, whether or not it’s clearly arguing in favor of the precise political message that they want to send. 

The true work of art is but a shadow of the divine perfection. ~ Michelangelo

Furthermore, conservatives, if they value beauty and want to influence the culture, should put their money and resources where their mouths are. By supporting or founding traditional art education programs that emphasize beauty over activism, funding the creation of new works, participating in viewing and experiencing art, and generally offering an audience and patronage to artists, they may begin to see a rise in artists among their own ranks. If, on the other hand, they give artists the sense that they’re too sensitive for the Right’s style, or that artists are wrong for wanting to focus on emotion, aesthetics, or other things that may not fit neatly into a capitalist system, the Right may continue to miss out on the creative genius that might actually, at the end of the day, align with many of their own values. 

Because artists are sensitive. They deeply crave a meaningful connection with others through their work. They want to be heard, seen, and recognized. The tough-guy attitude of the Right might make some of them feel superior to these sensitive artists, but to the artists, the tough-guys come across as uncultured, unwise, and aesthetically blind. If the Right wants to have any effect on the culture, it’s going to need to make room for this sort of temperament on its side by genuinely valuing the creative output of artists. If conservatives begin to openly value the beautiful art that’s being made now, not just centuries ago, that love and appreciation will draw more and more artists to it like moths to a flame. 

Remember What Makes Great Art Great

The Right isn’t obligated to patronize just any art — it should, on the other hand, be discerning and reward and praise art that is truly beautiful, meaningful, and inspiring. The Left decided to reject any such meritocracy in art decades ago. Instead, they award praise when the art says what they want it to say, when the creator or artists involved have the identity they want them to have, or when it goes specifically against traditional and cultural norms and standards that they want to upend. 

None of these things are actually what makes art great. If conservatives and Christians instead choose to elevate art for its actual merit, all of the real artists will breathe a sigh of relief, knowing that someone finally sees what they do. Real artists don’t make propaganda, they make meaning. They don’t make things to fit in, they create because of a deep inner drive that compels them to explore the human experience through a given medium, thereby illuminating something unique and timeless both to others and to themselves. 

The aim and final reason of all music should be none else but the glory of God and refreshing the soul. Where this is not observed there will be no music, but only a devilish hubbub. ~ Johann Sebastian Bach

If beauty, meaning, and capturing the true human experience are what make art great, then the Right is in luck. In recent years, the Left is anti-beauty in everything from personal appearance (see: body positivity) to sculpture (see: “The Embrace”) to music (see: “WAP” by Cardi B). They are anti-meaning, opting for a “to each their own” form of ethics and aesthetics, often aiming instead for shock value and garnering attention for its own sake. The Left is also currently anti-truth, rejecting truths as basic as human biology and the clear emotional damage of things like hook-up culture and perpetual birth control usage. All the Right needs to do is remind artists that they see the value in what they make, whereas the Left doesn’t, and they’ll find themselves with more artists on their side.

Emphasize That Traditional Does Not Mean Boring

A belief in God and traditional values might seem like they box artists in by making them stick to limited subject matter and philosophical ideas. This is, however, a total misunderstanding of what “tradition” really means. Tradition, in the loftier artistic and spiritual sense, is really another word for what is timeless and what is true. We call it tradition because it repeats through time within our culture, but it isn’t an arbitrary set of rules. Rather, it is a practicable expression of reality itself.

That’s why a reverence for tradition has historically only elevated the work of artists we still consider great today. Even within non-Western cultures, tradition is hugely important within art-making practices. Many world musics are grounded in the spirituality of the region, whether it’s Indonesian Gamelan, which takes influence from the country’s mix of Hindu, Buddhist, and Islamic beliefs, the deeply Sufi music of Persia, or the Indian tala system’s connection to Hinduism. Many countries also reflect their understanding of distinct gender roles in their music, like how African music often involves men as percussionists while women participate as dancers and singers. 

All writers, not ours alone but foreigners also, who have sought to represent Absolute Beauty, were unequal to the task, for it is an infinitely difficult one. … There is in the world only one figure of absolute beauty: Christ. That infinitely lovely figure is, as a matter of course, an infinite marvel. ~ Fyodor Dostoyevsky

What this all goes to show is that tradition doesn’t limit: it adds richness, complexity, history, and meaning to an art form. Whether or not individual artists innovate, add their own flavor or perspective, or take an existing artform to a totally new place, working within an appreciation for tradition is not prudish or boring — it embraces all of life, without “safe spaces” or ideology. It shows reality and the human experience as they really are. Romance, sexuality, human striving, pain and loss — all of these are part of traditional artistic expression. What could be more exciting for artists? 

Give Them The Creative “Yes”

Right now the Left is so strict about what anyone is allowed to say in order to remain in their good favor that they are openly saying “no” to creativity. In response, the Right should tell artists “yes.” Yes, we do want to hear what you have to say. Yes, you can say things that everyone might not like, you don’t have to please all conservatives or Christians. Yes, you can use your creativity to explore the human experience in a real, vivid, and honest way. 

If the Right can let go of its need to prove points, its need to reference the data and the facts, and instead let artists use their chosen medium to reflect the reality of the human experience back to their audience, they will be pleasantly surprised. Art that does this — art that says “yes” — reveals all of the most cherished values of the Right. It reveals truth, it reveals beauty, and if you pay enough attention, it reveals God. 

As the party of free speech, the Right has an opportunity to become irresistible to artists who are sick of being told “no” by the Left. With a little patience for the quirkiness of artists and for honesty about the less savory aspects of life, giving artists the ability to freely create will actually be what helps them win the culture. Propaganda and cringey, shallow art never will, but the surprise of honest art is that it preaches way better than any Lifetime movie, podcast host, or country pop star ever could because it reveals the deepest parts of reality directly and wordlessly to our very souls. 

Closing Thoughts

Artists aren’t actually a politically homogeneous group, even though it can seem that way at times. I would argue that the true artists, which are far more rare than individuals who might happen to be talented at a particular craft or good at drawing attention to themselves, are actually more naturally aligned with the Right than either conservatives or artists might expect. True artists and conservatives alike admire beauty, pursue truth, and understand that good and evil objectively exist. That might be why so many of our culture’s most cherished masterpieces have ties to Christianity and the values of modern day conservatism. 

If the Right wants a shot at winning the culture, they’re going to need to work to invite the artists back out of hiding. By supporting their free speech, valuing the beauty that they bring to the world, emphasizing the importance of our culture’s creative traditions, and praising art for its merit, they might be able to save us from the ugliness that’s threatening to overtake the western world.