Dimensions Variable
Scanned monotype manipulated to digital movie
The body: flesh and
spirit, when the two entities of ones self are separated for analysis, it
provokes questions of ones existence. Life ultimately ends in death and there
is inevitably a search for meaning before it ends. It is from this search that
humanity has given birth to ideas of religion and the belief that the spirit
extends beyond its existence in a mortal form. Religion however has a
fluctuating relationship with society. As humanity has progressed in it's
understanding of science, there has been a general shift away from those
initial religious responses to the question of one's existence.
Ultimately the
destination of the spirit is left to individual interpretation. Whether a
religious reasoning is adopted or if one approaches the question from a
scientific understanding; the conclusion to the issue is derived for the same
reason, to give meaning to life. Although it becomes an issue of personal
opinion there are many external factors that influence ones understanding. Your
cultural background, the society in which you inhabit, your upbringing; all of
these become factors in your belief structure, the concept of nature vs.
nurture plays a role as well.
'The Body Spirit' is a
response to these questions and a representation of my own experiences as my religious
upbringing juxtaposed my own reasoning. My value set is a result of the
narrative of my upbringing. The imagery denotes this as the visuals change
periodically in a memory-inkblot form. 'The Body Spirit' provides conclusive
symbolism for myself, however these forms could provide a variety of individual
interpretations and what the viewer derives from it will be based on their own
personal experiences, much like their understanding of their spirit.