Interconnected
Chief Seattle famously said, “Humankind has not woven the web of life. We are but one thread within it. Whatever we do to the web, we do to ourselves. All things are bound together. All things connect.”
The indigenous understanding has its basis of spirituality in a recognition of the interconnectedness and interdependence of all living things, a holistic and balanced view of the world. Using this framework, the show invited the viewer to use whimsy, color and form to understand this concept more deeply, through personal freedom and silent knowledge.
Personal freedom is when our hearts and minds are ruled by love instead of fear. Personal freedom is when we are comfortable in our own skin and we love and accept ourselves completely, even the parts we don’t like. Personal freedom is when we stop trying to be this or that, but instead are content to just be.
Silent knowledge is the deep, innate wisdom that is in all things. It comes from the interconnectedness of all beings and creatures. It is the wisdom of the universe. (Don Miguel Ruiz)
Challenging works by Titus Kaphar juxtapose history with Matthew Stone’s interconnected view of humanity, alongside the quirk of Ryan McCann’s representation of soul. The message behind Dan Attoe’s playful work asks us poignantly yet simply, “when are we going to get it.” In a time when political and economic tensions are extreme, these works remind us to go within ourselves and focus on our human kinship. Invoking a connectedness to earth and to play, we reach a greater respect for our presence and our inner mind, the noetic source that flows through us all.
