Hidden
Meaning
“Dance
is the hidden language of the soul.”
Martha
Graham
I've been asked by a
friend to post some of my art quilts and write about them. First, let
me say, as I've said before, I never begin with a plan—it's
unfortunate, but true. I know others, far more successful quilters
than I, who do, and they make beautiful quilts. They draw out on paper the
image they want to create in fabric, cut it apart and use the pieces
as a pattern for making the finished product. When I try to do that,
the piece looks stilted and stiff. It lacks soul. My process is
organic—the piece builds itself as I go, and when it feels
finished, I stop. At that point, I am able to look at it objectively
and see what it says. This small piece is a case in point. I began by
dying the fabrics that you see in the background, tearing them apart
and sewing them together until I liked the arrangement. Then I
created the figures to put on top.
The Martha Graham quote above is one I recently used in this blog. I resonate with it, because I
have always loved to dance. The figures are not ones that look very
soulful—in fact, they look like country folks at a barn dance. When I
grew up in the mountains of North Carolina, we were still taught
country dances—reels and clogging and square dancing,
“buck-dancing” as it's sometimes called—as part of physical
education. So, these figures, albeit exaggerated, are right out of
that personal history.
Here's where the story
becomes different. Consider the “hidden language of the soul” for
a minute. What image do you conjure up when you say those words.
Martha Graham said that great dancers are not necessarily the ones
who perform all the steps correctly; instead, they are great because
they have passion. If you look closely at these figures, you'll
notice that her eyes are closed, while his eyes are focused on her.
Soul, for her, is an inner construct—she encounters and experiences
her soulfulness by looking within. The soul in all religions is
depicted as the feminine face of God—Sophia, Kwan Yin, Saraswati,
Mary—so the male figure in this piece sees his soul in her. It's
not uncommon for men to project their feminine soul onto a flesh and
blood woman. Think Dante and Beatrice, Tristan and Isolde, Lancelot
and Guinevere, and many others. And, we are not exempt. We modern-day
folks do the same thing—even if we're country people at a hoe-down.
But, our soul is ours alone, and, even if we're football players or
Army Rangers, that soul is feminine.
I encourage you to get
acquainted with your feminine soul today. Kick up your heels a
little. She'll be right there.
In the Spirit,
Jane
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