Swimming With The Goddess Exhibit

Exhibit Statement

   The word 'metaphor' literally means 'transformer, the crossing over from one state to another', and has been described as 'a physical picture indicating a spiritual condition'. They are messages of deep truths. Metaphors as such arise spontaneously from deepest parts of ourselves, and appear not only in our dreams, but come to us in physical form, both individually and collectively, in synchronistic ways.
   The occurrence of metaphor is seen largely as a right-brained, intuitive, feminine event, and so could be read as manifestations of and messages from the Goddess, herself a metaphor for the Sacred Feminine. As metaphor, swimming implies being immersed in the Unconscious yet with the head above water, bringing the unconsciousness to awareness, hence the theme of this body of work.
   Ideally, I derive my images as they come to me in dreams or spontaneous impressions- those are the best, as they are truly metaphors from the unconscious. Alternately, they spring from a creative response to my research.

   Prehistorically, Goddess worship and creative, peaceful, women-centered cultures were predominant. Archaeological evidence shows the lack of weapons and fortresses, and reveals a proliferation of goddess icons. Some of the best-preserved archaeological evidence (Minoa) depicts generally peaceful, nature-loving societies devoting their time to athletic games, art, music and agriculture. This all eventually changed, due to to invasions, into patriarchal, warring, dominator cultures. The goddesses were replaced by male gods. This was possibly a necessary and unavoidable step.

   However, the Goddess, or Sacred Feminine, has not gone away.

   The Feminine Trinity offers a cyclical world-view of creating, nurturing, necessary destruction and rebirth, both symbolically and literally. Good and evil become matters of balance, not of eternal opposition.
   Today, the natural, complementary cosmic energies of masculine and feminine are out of balance, with male energy running rampant and out of control. From emotional and physical subjugation and violence against women (and children), ecological ravaging of our mother and only life-source the earth, to the insane notion that 'war' will create 'peace', emotional, physical and spiritual illness is almost the norm.
   The two energies, each with its own necessary qualities, must find proper relationship for to not just survive but to be truly whole.
   This exhibit is an honoring and calling-back of the Sacred Feminine.