Maybe I’m destined to be a flightless bird .
Footnote: Indian Brave represents the acceptance of what we can and can’t do – and the liberation that comes from admitting defeat (although some would have us believe it’s failure).
Beyond a message of acceptance, Indian Brave is also about the Super Hero within the girl. Just like BOys, girls aspire to having Super Hero powers too – in their dreams. It’s important to note this because the Army of Ink troops can be very hard to live up to. So I keep the inks close as my constant source of strength, my Super Heroes that come to my rescue time and time again – whilst reminding myself that I have skin not feathers – and I don’t have to always be so brave and strong and capable.
Now in my day …… oh but it’s true, my B girl (note not plural – it was acceptable to just have one back then), had ski suits and full length ball gowns. Now they’re wearing black guy traps and I’m not sure if that’s fake tan or an attempt to be politically correct? If you’re a Ken then check out this one on male body image … and these articles written by ABC’s Geraldine Mellet … one on sexualising little girls … another about women’s magazines setting every woman up to fail when they look in the mirror. Who holds the mirror is another related to this topic … OR click on the Body and Self Image in the TOPIC list on the right to view all articles on this topic.
Did you know Helena Bonham Carter’s Mum is a Psychotherapist? And shares her Mother’s sympathetic view of bullies saying … “Everybody has a heart and some people’s hearts have just been really damaged and they’ve forgotten how to love or feel lovable. Anybody that tiny inside needs to make themselves feel bigger, so they put people down.”
Quote from Weekend Australian Newspaper Review 27-28 March.
Wonder x 8 .
Sit in awe and wonder of Sir Spider as he creates an extraordinary lace, at a flying pace, with an endless thread and no instruction book in hand x 8. No education. No hand-me-down skills x 8. No voice to ask for directions.
Wonder….how does he know where to begin? How does he create such perfect symmetry with no tools of measure? How does he know when to snip the last thread to complete his masterpiece? And does he have any real idea why he does what he does? Does he feel a zone of frustration in a tiny vein, knowing tomorrow he’ll have to start all over again?
Or is he blissfully happy in his delightfully thoughtless spin? Makes you wonder ….
(Find in ‘Clunk & Jam’ book.)
Skip To Me .
When I was a little girl I wore black pantyhose on my head. Flicked back ponytail legs. Wobbled on stiletto sticks. Tripped and tumbled. And all fell down. Plaits now fall on shoulders of mine. Following and pretending packed away. I skip along paths dodging footprint holes and dress up boxes. Never again to cover my tracks. I skip like a stone forever on a path of my own.
Footnote: This ink came to me about from feeling a sense of being grown up. Not in the conventional sense. Just feeling ‘integrated’ with the little girl. Found this quote, “Happy ever afters are stories not finished yet” . A line Angelique Jollie dishes up to Brad in the movie Mr and Mrs Smith. And yes, I did wear pantyhose on my head as a kid – and painted false finger nails made out of sticky tape.
Find her in Rock The Boat book.
Excerpt from Art Apart, written by Kate Bezar, Dumbo Feather magazine. Art by Douglas.
Outsider Art does not just refer to artists without any prior exposure to art, but more broadly to people who work outside of the accepted art networks and institutions. In many cases, they suffer from mental illness or disability, but the list also includes prisoners, hermits and anyone who simply doesn’t fit. French artist, Jean Debuffet, was the first to give it a name; ‘l’Art Brut’, which translates as ‘raw art’. He described the genre as “works created from solitude and from pure and authentic creative impulses – where the worries of competition, acclaim and social promotion do not interfere. ”
(Visit Henry Boxer Gallery website and read the Artist’s fascinating biographies.)
