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Veronica McCabe Deschambault, V-Grrrl, Compost Studios. All rights reserved. Content may not be posted or broadcast online or in other media without written permission.

 

 

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Friday
17Jul2009

Art Journal

The inspiration for this piece first surfaced when I was reading May Sarton's Journal of a Solitude. I was sitting on Di's terrace pondering some of Sarton's reflections on feminism and the artist's need to be open to experience, to pain, to love, to light and to darkness, to every human emotion and every human being.

It's a dilemma I've struggled with repeatedly, especially in the last few years.

How open is too open?

Where do we draw boundaries in our relationships, in our art, in our writing?

Who do we let in and who do we keep out?

What do we express and how do we express it?

Who can we trust and what do we do when we're betrayed?

Most women are socialized to give generously of themselves, and this capacity for giving is the best and worst thing about being a woman. Our willingness to give fosters intimacy and satisfying relationships. It also leaves us open to exploitation and abuse.

Women who love too much are both admired and reviled. Thus the words that came to me and inspired this art are these:

She gives herself so freely.

Does that make her a saint or a whore?

( My gallery shot might make it easier to see the details. Scroll down through the gallery thumbnails to the end to find this.)

The central image in this piece is a foreign postage stamp that I got while living in Europe. I bought parcels of cancelled stamps just to admire the artwork, and my favorite package included all images of women.

For this art journal entry, I chose a classical image because I wanted to create something that reflected how long women have struggled with identity. I chose this particular stamp because the woman is beautiful but earthy, sensual and yet ordinary, and her eyes gaze heavenward.

The colors in this piece are inviting and yet illustrate a play of light and shadow.

I set the image in a series of windows because windows permit us to observe the outside world and allow others to see us. Saints are enshrined in stained glass windows, and whores stand in windows and reveal themselves. Windows are also both a means of escape and a means of entry.

The half circles in the composition suggest halos, the sun, the moon, warmth and light. The winged heart is joy and love and freedom.

Women who love too much.

Women who open the windows to their souls.

Women who give and then give some more.

Women who put themselves out in the world--

Saints? Or Whores?

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Reader Comments (9)

As provocative of thought as it is pleasing to the eye. Mastery, V.
July 17, 2009 | Unregistered CommenterKim
Wow. What a powerful question that took my thoughts on a much-needed tangent after a week of too much mommy-ness. Thank you.

I recently blogged about how the best questions rarely have an answer...they have many answers or none at all. This is one of those "best" questions. Saint or whore? Both or neither? Something else, entirely?

Beautiful, certainly.
July 17, 2009 | Unregistered CommenterSusan Raihala
This is one of my favorite visual pieces so far, perhaps because the questions you raise are so thought provoking. I am in the middle of a 10-month women's group series, and we are exploring a lot of these questions. So far, the biggest thing I have learned is that we need more dialogue like this, to raise these questions, share our experiences, and support each other as women. I like to believe there's a balance between saint and whore, as with all things.

I am about to start May Sarton's book this week; especially looking forward to it after this post!
July 19, 2009 | Unregistered CommenterGranola-grrrl
I am not really sure that we, women are all that giving. I have heard women say they are giving, but behaving with limited generosity. It may be a myth. It may also be a myth that men are not giving.

What do you think about that the wealthiest nation has so many homeless humans?

I may be speaking as a bottom dweller to a comfortable middleclass,
Lilian
July 20, 2009 | Unregistered CommenterLilianP
I do find most women to be generous giving of themselves, their time, their energy.

Some men are very giving too, but they're not socialized or wired to be as aware of other's needs and conditioned to respond.

That said, I'm married to a giving man.

As for why the wealthiest nation on earth has so many homeless? I'm not sure, but I think its inexcusable. There are those who are temporarily homeless due to misfortune or poor health, those who are mentally ill or struggling with addiction who can't function well enough to obtain/keep a home, and there are a few, I'm sure, who are rebels who don't want to be tied down to a home or a job or a place. Regardless of the reasons, I do think we need to do more as a nation, especially treating mental health and addiction and providing affordable health care. That said, I'm continually impressed by community efforts to help and serve the homeless. The need may surpass their efforts, but the hearts and spirits of the volunteers and supporters inspire me.
July 21, 2009 | Unregistered CommenterV-Grrrl
Saints. Yeah...saints.
July 21, 2009 | Unregistered Commenterapathy lounge
Loved this and will come back to it once I'm home ... beautiful.
xo
July 24, 2009 | Unregistered CommenterDi
Oh, and a kind of saint I think ... simply because they run the huge risk of being judged a whore or a fool. It takes so much strength to stay open and conscious that it makes those judging them as whores look small and narrow, or so I imagine.
July 24, 2009 | Unregistered CommenterDi
Saint or whore? The difference is in the perspective, I think. The perspective of the watcher, who may be passing judgement on what she/he sees. That is, of course, unless we are judging ourselves. To me, giving is giving, and if you're willingly giving compassion or giving of your self passionately through love or sex, a gift is a gift. We may ask ourselves which witch is which, but in all honesty, I don't care. I worry about how my actions may affect those I love, but I rarely worry about how those who judge may think. They will think what they'll think no matter what we say or do ... so screw 'em. That's what judgement is.

Let go. Give a little.

D~
July 24, 2009 | Unregistered CommenterDonna L. Faber

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