From Hiroshima

Traveling to Japan was a distant thought, barely even a dream, back in 2013 when I began working on the BRANDED series.

I never imagined as a young Midwestern girl (raised very Conservatively and Religiously) that I could nurture and retain and now expand an open, empathetic worldview. It isn’t my desire to say much politically (I cringe from fanatics of ANY kind), yet I yearn for a world where humans treat one another humanely. A world where raising arms is not the “go to” answer to disagreements. Which, by the way - Why Can’t We Just Disagree? Why do YOU (any group) have to beat me (or anyone else) with a stick if I don’t agree with you?

Hibakusha Trio, Encaustic Scuptures by Sher Fick

What I do know: every act of war is an atrocity.

Japan’s general attitude has shifted since immediately after the Atomic Bomb (Hiroshima and Nagasaki, 1945). Soon after the bombs, the survivors were shunned (not marriageable material as many were sick, or assumed they would become so, that they would carry inheritable defects; basically, they were DIFFERENT and tainted). I’ve been reading on the events and aftermath for 5 years now and am happy to say that the Japanese heart softened to the Hibakusha (atomic bomb survivors) and have embraced and even honoured them. The process of healing includes collection of witness reports (and drawings), the creation of art and, from my site in HIroshima, memorials from all over the world. The event is something to be remembered.

The exhibition Iri & Toshi Muruki: Understanding the Hiroshima Panels and Collection Highlights & Special Feature1: The Century with Mushroom Clouds/Special Feature2: Prayer at The Hiroshima Museum of Contemporary Art does much to put the art that has been created about not only the Hiroshima Atomic Bombing, but the subject of nuclear inspired art, into both an historical and conceptual viewpoint.

May it never be repeated.

Adventures in COPING SKILLS

Three years ago I was the inaugural artist for a new and innovative gallery, SeedSpace.  Seed Space is a lab for site-specific installation, sculpture, and performance-based art in Nashville.  The work I exhibited was COPING SKILLS and A PAXIL A DAY.

The COPING SKILLS altar was created in 2007 for the TAKE CARE: Biomedical Ethics in the 21st Century traveling exhibition (2009-2013).  Art reviews about this work, reviews, and images of the show in its entirety can be viewed in the exhibition catalogue.  Basically, the altar was created to honor the medication which allows me to be a successful human, artist, wife, mother, sister, daughter, aunt, and friend.

The COPING SKILLS altarIn 2010, an additional benefit to my contacts at SeedSpace is when it began its own CSArt program. At the time, Nashville was only the 4th city to offer Community Supported Artist's shares.  I created 50 small-scale collector pieces of Coping Skills.  We eventually had an installation exhibit of all the CSArtist's work at Nashville International Airport, and they graciously purchased full crates for their permanent collection. One of the works included in the CSArt Crates

At the CSArt Party, where collectors personally interacted with the artists, I was approached by Lee Pepper, CMO at Foundations Recovery Network.  We had a lively conversation about therapy, pharmaceuticals, the stigma against those caring for their mental health issues, and much more.  He brought up an idea about exhibiting my work at a future FRN facility.  Fast forward 3 years and this seed sprouted into a solo exhibition/retrospective that took place April - May of 2013.  The works I exhibited at FRN's Nashville Facility included the following:  Coping Skills and its collector pieces, You Made Your Bed I & II, Constraint Series, What I Really Mean To Say, Is . . . (created specifically for the exhibition), Eat Your Words (it had never been exhibited), and various works as examples of Art Therapy.

One of the best results, other than the amazing interaction with viewers at the opening, was the filming of a 20 minute Art Talk.  I don't have the professionally filmed version available yet , but here is a video shot by my 20 year old son during the talk.  It gives you an idea about my process and theories behind all of the work at the show and work that I am currently developing, such as the BRANDED series (see previous post for details)

So to all you discouraged artists out there, be patient!  The seeds you planted years ago just might grow into a great future opportunity.