INVISIBLE WOMAN: The Power of Images as Your Voice
March 8, 2012
The impact of a powerful image is well beyond that of the spoken word in many cases
Recently I went to an opening of Patti Levey's wonderful photography and was greatly touched by not only her photography but the various aspects of her entire exhibit which included her photographs, poetry and performance art by Dana, another young woman.
The combination of all
these allowed me to experience the invisibility of women, and the connection
that we have with one another even when we are in countries divided by war and
ideologies. It was POWERFUL indeed for me, and took me back to the Brave Heart Women's RISE conference training last fall where we learned to acknowledge each other's pain and send
love to one another so that we could learn to collaborate rather than compete.
Patti's work raised the questions of women being invisible in a burka, and of
people not being able to love one another when there are differences. It asks
us to think about how women learn how to take on this mantle of invisibility
for their own purposes, to hide their real identities and intentions as in
carrying laptops, rifles or even pregnancies underneath this garment that is
both a burden and possesses the possibility of being a gift of camouflage. A
small woman in a burka then began circulating thru the people in the room,
silently, almost invisibly. I saw her out of the corner of my eye at first. I
realized no one else seemed to see her at all, Seeing the photographs of
similar invisible women, offering a folded American flag to the viewer and many
other related images along with poems of the losses and pain of these wars
between countries and on women, had already left me deeply moved. Suddenly I
knew this invisible woman need to be recognized by me. I looked at her. She
silently walked up to me holding the folded flag and handed it to me. I can not
describe the deep feelings of sadness and yet connection I felt with her. Then
out of my experience at the RISE conference came a knowing and I reached over
to her shoulders and placed my right hand there. She placed hers on top of
mine. And with tears I simply said, " I SEE you. We stood a moment and
then I returned the flag to her. It was profound for both of us as she told me
later. Perhaps the teachings that we had at Brave Heart's RISE conference could be done on a much larger
scale so that they can sensitize many more and show us how to simply recognize
one another as the beautiful beings we are, regardless of how we dress or where
we live. This was a wonderful example of using multiple means of communication
to empower the Voice of the Work. A message given in multiple ways that
includes visual images is perhaps the very most powerful tool we have.
If you would like to see images of Patti's actual work, please check her
photography at this link
http://www.photoeye.com/gallery/forms2/index.cfm?image=1&id=181344&imagePosition=1&Door=9&Portfolio=Portfolio2&Gallery=0
Photo:Feather and Woman in a Burka - Copyright 2012 Raven Redfox
Beautiful communication with all others
Blessings,
Feather
Posted by Labyrinth Door. Posted In : Empowerment for women
I am passionate about being an artist, teacher and healer; I work shamanically, often being guided very specifically to use certain colors and shapes, images or techniques in my art, adding words that are given to me as well. I am compelled to do this work and see it as a tool for the assistance of others in their own journeys. It is the work of my life, My Heart’s Path. I enjoy doing it more than anything else there is.
While I use the term healer, I am really more like a guide who can bring others to portals, to mirrors that allow them to create their own healing processes and changes. No one person really heals another without that person’s input. It has been the most amazing journey of my life to come to an awareness and knowing of these gifts and how I am able to use them.
Thus my intent for all of my art is to offer beautiful food to our souls and create aids for new ways to heal and solve our problems. Many of the most ancient processes and ways of leaning about our lives and selves are also among the newest ways. The finger labyrinths I have created are a wonderful example of this. Using readings based on the Power Deck and Soul Cards as teachings rather than fore-tellings is another method of helping us to SEE ourselves and areas of our lives and behaviors we may wish to change.
Everyday is another chapter of learning for me. I am so grateful for this journey I am on and must credit my teachers and mentors over the years, especially Lynn Andrews and her School of Sacred Arts and Training. Truly my life is alive with mystery and magic in a very special sense of those words and I feel blessed to be able to SEE in so many new ways.
Feather