Hello,
I have been finding it difficult to keep a blog, so although this is short, it will fill the month what’s up qualification.
Sculpture No.42_Innocence of a Dreamer
26” x 8”, glass beads, crochet material, reclaimed metals, welded and finished in epoxy paint.
Michelle Vara uses mixed media in sculpture that is reminiscent of tribal masks to create an empowering narrative that counteracts the disparity of suffering by the action of doing, to moving through and signify the transient growth of a new level of being and becoming sentient.
The sculpture #42 Named: IOD
Has many small nuances of different processes used throughout history.
The metal objects, welded, all have some story significance and were chosen very intentionally, as are the painted colors, the glass beading was accomplished through a chanting process of positivity, and the multi-colored crocheted piece is handled in the same manner as the beading. The sculpture also includes industrial fuses, brass chips, valve check ball, and gears.
Name meaning to include:
Posttraumatic growth (PTG)- is a positive psychological change experienced as a result of struggling with highly challenging, highly stressful life circumstances.[1][2] These circumstances represent significant challenges to the adaptive resources of the individual and pose significant challenges to the individual’s way of understanding the world and their place in it.[1] Posttraumatic growth involves “life-changing” psychological shifts in thinking and relating to the world and the self, that contribute to a personal process of change, that is deeply meaningful.[1]
- Tedeshi, R.G., & Calhoun, L.G. (2004). Posttraumatic Growth: Conceptual Foundation and Empirical Evidence. Philadelphia, PA: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
- Tedeschi, R.G., & Calhoun, L.G. (1995). Trauma and Transformation: Growing in the Aftermath of Suffering. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Research-
The earliest masks were believed to be used in Africa before the Paleolithic era. They represent spirits of animals or ancestors, mythological heroes, moral values, or a form of honoring a person symbolically.
Animism is the belief that all things in the world have a spirit or consciousness and that they have agency and free will. This includes animals, plants, rocks, rivers, weather, and even human-made objects. Animism is a common belief in indigenous cultures and can be seen in many modern religions and practices.
Purple: Purple is a color of royalty and dignity. It represents power, wealth, and luxury. In African textiles, purple is often used to signify nobility, spirituality, and wisdom.
- Artist Pablo Picasso
Some critics say that Pablo Picasso drew inspiration from the D’mba mask in some of his sculptures.
A few examples are Ndeemba, Baga Nimba, and Wabele. It is most appropriate to name groups of masks by their purpose, such as ancestor masks, war masks, animal masks, and feminine beauty masks.
meant to represent sentient entities.
Words-
sen·tient- able to perceive or feel things.
Reading-
- Carver C (2010). “Resilience and Thriving: Issues, Models, and Linkages”. Journal of Social Issues. 54 (2): 245–266. doi:10.1111/j.1540-4560.1998.tb01217.x.
- ^ Michaela Haas, “Bouncing Forward: Transforming Bad Breaks into Breakthroughs,” Atria/Enliven, 2015
- ^ Michaela Haas. “What is Posttraumatic Growth?”.
- ^ Jump up to:a b Park CL (March 2010). “Making sense of the meaning literature: an integrative review of meaning making and its effects on adjustment to stressful life events”. Psychological Bulletin. 136 (2): 257–301. doi:10.1037/a0018301. PMID 20192563. S2CID 23947153.
- ^ Jump up to:a b Linley PA, Joseph S (February 2004). “Positive change following trauma and adversity: a review”. Journal of Traumatic Stress. 17 (1): 11–21. doi:10.1023/b:jots.0000014671.27856.7e. PMID 15027788. S2CID 19585205.
- In some African cultures, a spirit inhabits a mask upon its creation. When a man (or, on rare occasions, a woman) puts on a mask and costume they give up their own being. The identity of the spirit takes over. Sometimes this spirit can be of another person, such as an ancestor. Other times the spirit is an animal or natural force. https://new.artsmia.org/programs/teachers-and-students/teaching-the-arts/five-ideas/african-masks-and-masquerades