A Secret Mission For Beauty
By Johanna Duncan
Bradley Santos’s eyes are in a constant pursuit of beauty. His inquisitive mind, as well as his heart, are tuned to God’s presence in urban art.
“Urban art is about taking the pieces of our environments and what we recognize as beautiful,” Bradley says. He further defines it as the form of art that pursues the highest resourcefulness, taking what’s around us and composing pieces that manifest God’s work within us and our honest attempt to express our sacred experiences.
Taking this idea of urban art to heart, Bradley is the founder of One Secret Mission - a creative studio that offers branding services, an open library of free Catholic photos submitted by artists, and a line of streetwear merchandise.
Inspired by Saint John Paul II’s Letter to Artists and under the premise that the language of beauty revives the world, Bradley’s intent with One Secret Mission is to bring Catholic creatives together to pursue their craft and constantly assess the question “How is the Church, right now, interpreting beauty?” The conversation around this question is between the Creator and the co-creator - better known as the artist.
Bradley values the stories behind art and the artist, including where the artist comes from to his or her personal sense of beauty. He argues that beauty is a language with many dialects and the same message may easily carry many layers. The artist's creation represents the unique bond and relationship shared with God. The artist carries the responsibility of staying authentic so one’s art may shed the beauty of Christ within. Much of this bond and responsibility is invisible to the eye, and still, it is for the artist to grasp the almost unattainable and express it to the world. “Beauty as a language goes beyond what the artist sees,” he says.
So, how should the artist’s God-given mission translate in the culture? Bradley expands on the layers of culture and our unique sense of perception. “Something may be beautiful and attractive but not so the other day,” he says, and adds, “Beauty is always changing but it remains beautiful.”
Bradley goes further to say there is such a thing as cultural drifts and the standards for beauty currently established by Hollywood, but this dictation on the definition of beauty is often unauthentic and won’t survive the test of time. It often holds an iconic value relevant to its time and place, but it fails to compare to, for example, Michaelangelo’s attempts to depict the Word of God.
The divine undertone in men’s work is where beauty lies, Bradley believes. That’s transcendental. Our role as co-creator and artist carries a deep sense of respect for training and effort. Bradley says, “Giving our best and respecting the dignity of the craft, that is the responsibility of the artist.” Dignity is a key word here for Bradley - it brings to light the bond between the artist and his Creator.
Ultimately, Bradley thinks there is a shared path in the pursuit of beauty and the pursuit of God. As we aim to capture moments, feelings, and a particular aesthetic, we reflect on the beauty that initially attracted us to the subject matter. Beauty is a language through which God speaks to us and guides us, accompanying us, as a designer whose work has a high purpose. Bradley shows his appreciation for art and the artist in recognizing the journey carried out in the creation process. “That person went through something while doing that,” he says.
Bradley sees this pursuit of beauty in one’s craft as an invitation to channel our own creativity into a conversation with God. “Michelangelo had paintbrushes, we have cameras,” he says. Whether an artist’s work is featured at a gallery, a street mural, or an Instagram feed, the artist’s effort and intentionality toward his craft is expressed in his perception of creation, and therefore the Creator.
The next step in Bradley’s mission with One Secret Mission is to establish a physical space to build a community for Catholic creatives and continue to beautify the Church. But his initial mission remains the same: to approach the world as an apostle eager to share the Gospel with few words but immense beauty.
