HER RITES Artist Statement
Embarking on this artwork series with Dr. Christy Bauman for the book HER RITES has been a great honor. We began as much excitement and wonder, after laying my pin down the wonder and excitement has all but grown exponentially. Each art piece serves the portal into a specific Rite of Passage. It’s the first view, that in my prayer, was to open your heart I visually seeing the intent, the message feelings and the heart of what you were about to embark in on that chapter. Without reading the chapter, the image serves to be a visceral moment that one conceal as well as visually read, as the artwork unfolds itself to you. These are some of my notes. I’ve been requested to write these down of the ideas and thoughts and thought processes of mine as I put these together. During one of our creative brainstorming sessions, Dr. Bauman said to me with an animated excitement in her voice, this is how we wash and comb and braid and anoint other women. This artwork and these words, this effort in doing this that is what we are doing. Those words inspired me it filled my heart with hope and happiness. As this is my voice, and it is my hope and desire that it would bless you that these images and his words, lovingly, calm and care for your deepest most intimate spaces.
Rite of Birth
Early on our talks, we joked about the moment in The Lion King where Rafiki thrusts Simba up into the sky and the circle of life song erupts from a chorus of animals. The energy of this one reflects the moment directly from utero presented into the sky, are you, new, wet, umbilical cord still pulsating, cloth flying, and your lovely enormous cry reverberating through the night. It’s very important to have motion and these pieces I wanted you to feel the animation and really being in that moment. The moon that makes a halo around baby also backlights the sound waves erupting from its mouth.
Seeding The Sky
The final piece and title piece, Seeding The Sky was a heart song. It is an exuberant display of offering that vulnerability within into the night, hoping those seeds grow. Those seeds become the stars inheritance, the promises, beauty and goodness. Thank you for allowing me to share with you my heart and my thoughts. It is my hope we can create together beautiful space that we might own ourselves, and everything that we do that powerful cry to live and create and be.
Right of Birth
Early on our talks, we joked about the moment in The Lion King where Rafiki thrusts Simba up into the sky and the circle of life song erupts from a chorus of animals. The energy of this one reflects the moment directly from utero presented into the sky, are you, new, wet, umbilical cord still pulsating, cloth flying, and your lovely enormous cry reverberating through the night. It’s very important to have motion and these pieces I wanted you to feel the animation and really being in that moment. The moon that makes a halo around baby also backlights the sound waves erupting from its mouth.
Seeding The Sky
The final piece, our title piece, Seeding The Sky was a heart song. It is an exuberant display of offering that vulnerability within into the night, hoping those seeds grow. Those seeds become the stars inheritance, the promises, beauty and goodness. Thank you for allowing me to share with you my heart and my thoughts. It is my hope we can create together beautiful space that we might own ourselves, and everything that we do that powerful cry to live and create and be.