About the Artist
Scapegoat Studio is the artistic enterprise of Jonathan Mayer, a confessional Lutheran artist from the midwest. The scapegoat is one of many biblical “types” or pictures of Christ. Through a range of artistic works, Scapegoat Studio aims to clearly proclaim Christ’s redemptive work for all.
There is something both humbling and motivating about submitting one’s work to a higher purpose—that of pointing to Christ. That was the work of John the Baptist: “He must increase, but I must decrease” (John 3:30). Self-denial goes against the grain of both contemporary culture and our sinful flesh. But when the gospel predominates, the visual arts become a ready medium for proclaiming God’s goodness to mankind through his only begotten Son, Jesus.
I take comfort in the fact that I am traveling a well-worn path. I have the privilege of studying countless masters and bearing witness to the same truths that they did. I am inspired by numerous contemporaries who are recovering a sense of sacred beauty and liturgy. God worked miracles of faith through their hands, and my prayer each day is that He may work through mine.
Jonathan Mayer was born in Nebraska and raised on a steady diet of sweet corn and classical music. He lives in Cochrane, Wisconsin with his wife and eight children. His full-time job is the head designer for Willet Stained Glass Studios in Winona, Minnesota.
Presentations
The following is a list of the papers or presentations I have delivered for churches, conferences, and publications. Please contact me if you’d like me to give a presentation at your church or conference.
2024
Sir, We Wish to See Jesus
Presented at the 2024 Institute on Preaching, Liturgy, and Church Music. There is a growing cultural gnosticism that views matter as inconsequential to reality. St. John of Damascus invites us to see how the Incarnation redeems physical matter and sanctifies our desire to see the divine visage—which we do in a unique way through the visual arts.
2021
The Necessity of Liturgical Art
Published in LOGIA: A Journal of Lutheran Theology, volume XXX #2. Many see art and beauty as little more than decoration. A poor understanding of our artistic inheritance and its role in maintaining doctrine often leads to the conclusion that liturgical art is unimportant. This paper seeks to answer the question: “Does the church need liturgical art?”
2019
Beauty in Education
Presented at the 2019 Lutheran Homeschool Symposium. How to Instill Visual Discernment (Even if You Aren’t an Artist). It is no secret that the fine arts get short shrift from even well-meaning educators. How can we be more intentional about giving art its due diligence? Better yet, how can we teach children to recognize and desire true beauty?
2016
Beauty in the Beheld
Presented at the 2016 Return to Wittenberg conference; and the 2019 Grandviews from the Vineyard symposium. The oft-cited maxim that “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder” is actually in conflict with Christian doctrine. This presentation examines scripture, the creeds, and the church fathers to correct our misunderstanding of beauty as a purely sensory and subjective experience.
2016
An Artist's Vocation in Life
Published in the Spring 2016 edition of Lutheran Forum. This was a deeply personal article exploring my formative years in college and graduate school, and my struggles with vocation and finding purpose. The scriptures and a string of mentors were instrumental in my seeing vocation rightly and finding joy in work well done.
2014
Art Wars
Delivered at the 2014 Conference for Worship, Music, and the Arts. Sacred vs. Expressive in Lutheran Liturgical Art. Through the lens of the Reformation, this presentation examines the dichotomy between a Modernist self-expressive (even iconoclastic) vision of art in the church, and the living tradition of art that aims to embody the faith.
2012
Vehicles of the Gospel
Delivered at Hearts and Hands of David conference, Wisconsin Lutheran College. Recognizing the dearth of church art in the Lutheran church of past decades, this presentation first examines scriptural principles and foundations for worship. Then, citing Luther’s view of music as a “handmaid to theology,” we apply that description to the visual arts. When properly employed, the arts become vehicles for transmitting the gospel.
Resurrecting Liturgical Art
2011
MFA thesis for Savannah College of Art & Design. Historically, Christian liturgical art has been rooted in a rich and meaningful tradition. The Modernist movement in art has not only resulted in an unprecedented secular iconoclasm, but has also created an environment that is resistant to the creation of liturgical art in any traditional sense. If Christians are not educated as to the intrinsic value of liturgical art, and do not facilitate its revival, it may soon disappear from our places of worship.