Focus on Guns into Plowshares and explain the Religious context.
Esther Augsburger regards her artwork as an expression of her Mennonite religious commitments. Yet for most of their history, the Mennonites (a branch of Anabaptist Christianity named for Menno Simons) had no strong tradition of artmaking. The tradition placed a high value on what is considered a "plain" or "simple" form of life, which involved a rejection of decoration or ornament. Many Mennonites also objected to the use of images in worship. What aesthetic tradition they did develop therefore focused on functional household objects like quilts and furniture.In the latter half of the 20th century, however, a new tradition of distinctively Mennonite art began to emerge. The growth of this tradition was visible in both Mennonite literature and the visual arts. Esther Augsburger belongs to this new tradition. She was the first graduate of the newly formed studio art program at Eastern Mennonite University in 1972, and she went on to produce sculptures recognized both nationally and internationally. Much of her work, like Guns into Plowshares, attests to traditional Mennonite values, especially a commitment to service and nonviolence.
Eastern Mennonite University Mennonite Menno Simons Mennonite literature Anabaptist Mennonites nonviolence