The images of the oiled birds weigh heavily on my spirit.
The ancient trees cry out to my soul as they are cut down.
Once the ocean is dead what will become of us?
I am hurtling towards the last of my year of firsts and I miss my mother desperately.
I can feel the weight of depression heavy in my chest, a hard lump underneath my breastbone and I can taste its sour flavour at the back of my throat. I can feel it clutching at me at the edges of my mind.
As the heaviness threatens to drag me down, I could easily leap into the darkness and stay there submerged in my own sorrow but I don’t have the time to linger on self absorption, I have wasted enough time already.
A cup was stuck in the mould and I ripped it in my impatience. As I smoothed the jagged edges and altered its shape I became lost in the moment and a series has been born.
I will be exhibiting in the Tasmanian Ceramics Association’s annual exhibition in August, the theme of the exhibition is the seven deadly sins. I cant decide between greed, pride or sloth as my sin of choice, either way this cup and its resemblance to a jagged tree stump will be my interpretation of the brief.
Our sloth, our laziness, our apathy in the face of a world on the brink of catastrophe. Our pride, our vanity, our overriding arrogance that we can control nature and bend to the earth to our will is uppermost in my mind. The essence of our destuctive human natures will be represented in these forms.
They wont be blue like the picture above as I need something harsher than that to get the idea out of my head. Blood and ashes, graffiti and despair. There wont be any hope in these pieces at all, as they will contain my anger but maybe it is better to have my anger contained in these vessels. We will see.
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I know. I know. This kind of willful and pointless destruction pains me beyond words. I understand your anger and your despair. I’m glad you have found a way to express it through your art. xo
My gut feeling is that Greed has led the planet to the brink. The Global Corporations’ greed for more and more profit and our encouraged ‘need’ for more and more things.
Excellent work Kim. It really doesn’t matter which of the seven deadlies you choose. They are all expressions of how we spurn the gifts we were given and separate ourselves, by choice, from what we were made to love.
I too have had such a heavy heart over seeing the birds.
I agree with Sharon that greed has led the planet to a place where most of us don’t wish to be. (living in the midst of destruction).
I think you should make lots of those vessels, they’re stunning, and work out your anger and depression that way.
thankyou
My heart cries at the sight of these birds. I agree with Sharon, greed is what makes people destroy this planet.
It is greed underscored by power, over other people, over the planet. Avarice is an ugly trait,made all the more gross by hubris. Could they be fired in an earth pit (not sure id that’s the correct term … fired in the ground)? I’ve only seen the results once, but it’s a very personal way of letting the earth create and express itself. I think your damaged cups look like they’re bleeding sap, like a cut tree would ooze greenish sap. The colours aren’t so out of place in the image you’ve given of the tree stump.
The pieces are wonderful. I think that we don’t need to contain our anger, we need to express it, release it. How else will others understand. How else can we come to terms with our own grief and sorrow over what is happening to the earth and in our own personal lives.
I really love the idea of firing something in the earth.
Amazing work Kim!
I am heading to the Florida panhandle on Sat. My heart breaks to think of what I might find.
Blessings to you, Froggie, at this time of pain and transition.
I think its greed.
To throw yourself into your art to help with your despair at this anniversary will be a distraction. Don’t forget hope though there is always hope whilst there are people who care like you in the world.
Your mum I think would want you to find some peace of mind, so perhaps over the next year you could make some pieces with hope as a theme by way of contrast. I think she would have approved of that, what do you think?
xoxoxoxo
I totally agree that it’s greed. Your art is awesome.
Hi! Stopping by from Aussie Mummy Bloggers. Great blog.
Have a nice day!
I don’t know what to say that hasn’t already been said. Those pieces are stunning. One with dark red or orange would be a perfect vessel for your anger.