Story Eleven
Resourcefulness and Recycling
Dear Samuel,
The fish is used as symbol synonymous with the Christian faith. But, what is not as well known is the ancient history of this symbol. Long before the time of Christ, in prehistoric time early humans used the shape of a fish to communicate aspects of life on our planet. Thousands of years later the ancient Greeks imagined the fish as a feminine symbol of fertility and attributed beliefs about a goddess of water to fish. The provision of food from fishes and all creatures of the water were celebrated by our diverse ancestors. Samuel, it is fascinating even mysterious to travel to a spirit place! You can do this by studying history, anthropology, genealogy, and folk lore. Sometimes if you spend the good part of a day in a major art museum, and you appreciate the artistic expressions of diverse civilizations you might feel like you have traveled through time. In art appreciation, I collect thoughts like a rich harvest from a distant times such as the hunter / gatherer period of history. All people have lived close to water and bodies of water have been sacred. I have actually grieved when disasters like the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico occurred. Some say deep oil wells such as this continue to seep. I do not know, but I fear the possibility.
The flow of resources from the earth makes our life enjoyable, because material needs are met, but I wonder at what cost? Artists have been a part of just about every civilization and the material possessions every culture desires and often artists are part of the process of celebrating material acquisition. Artist’s have not been free to express their spiritual feeling until the time of democracy aligned with art in modern times.
The fish is used as symbol synonymous with the Christian faith. But, what is not as well known is the ancient history of this symbol. Long before the time of Christ, in prehistoric time early humans used the shape of a fish to communicate aspects of life on our planet. Thousands of years later the ancient Greeks imagined the fish as a feminine symbol of fertility and attributed beliefs about a goddess of water to fish. The provision of food from fishes and all creatures of the water were celebrated by our diverse ancestors. Samuel, it is fascinating even mysterious to travel to a spirit place! You can do this by studying history, anthropology, genealogy, and folk lore. Sometimes if you spend the good part of a day in a major art museum, and you appreciate the artistic expressions of diverse civilizations you might feel like you have traveled through time. In art appreciation, I collect thoughts like a rich harvest from a distant times such as the hunter / gatherer period of history. All people have lived close to water and bodies of water have been sacred. I have actually grieved when disasters like the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico occurred. Some say deep oil wells such as this continue to seep. I do not know, but I fear the possibility.
The flow of resources from the earth makes our life enjoyable, because material needs are met, but I wonder at what cost? Artists have been a part of just about every civilization and the material possessions every culture desires and often artists are part of the process of celebrating material acquisition. Artist’s have not been free to express their spiritual feeling until the time of democracy aligned with art in modern times.
Renewable Resource
The creative work of artists often relies on symbolic meaning and metaphor to encourage others to imagine and envision. Art can be a catalyst for perception for some and it has also been a tool of propaganda. In tolerant cultures where the aesthetic of the artist is respected, wisdom can be derived from art and a synergy of spirits can unite people. I hope that through the art, and writing I share, there will be a positive influence on others.
By consuming salmon my ancestors believed they would gain not only physical strength, but also spiritual benefit. They respected the balance of nature and by means of art and oral history passed on sacred spiritual beliefs. I seek knowledge from the same spiritual well of my ancestors. In a physical sense I drink the same water they drank, yet I am not sure it is the same. Now in works of art such as “Renewable Resource?”, I raise this important question, is our water changing, is it safe for human consumption? I have created this mixed media work of art by tearing a watercolor of trout into small 2.5 inch squares. The pieces of water color are placed upon a news report about the pollution of waterways in the United States. A drawing of “vitamin water” sold in toxic environmentally unfriendly plastic bottles is also a part of the design. Finally a small human skull is affixed upon an insect painted on the original watercolor before it was torn in pieces. This is a symbol of a human at the top of the food chain, but not immune from the pollution poisoning the trout. I have use fish as symbols in my art many times and I paint fish because they are in my mind very beautiful creatures. In art I have been aware of legends and mythology related to fish and of how these symbols can represent spiritual beliefs, such as transformation and creation. The belief of a global flood exists in Ancient India as well as Early Christian lore. In India, Vishnu transformed himself into a fish (Matsya) to save the world from a great flood. In this form, he guided king Manu’s boat that held the select few survivors & seeds of life to re-create the world after the flood. Much the same in the Old Testament of the Bible, Noah builds an arc to also same living creatures from a global flood. Also in the Old Testament is the story of Jonah who survived being swallowed by a great fish. In the New Testament there is the story about Jesus using fish to perform a miracle of feeding a multitude of people. And this book reflects upon the story of Jesus instructing one of his disciples to cast a line to catch a fish that would yield gold coins for payment of taxes! More stories about, the creator, planting seeds in the cosmic womb was told and passed down as legend in Africa. From seeds it was believed fish erupted, and were set forth into the cosmos upon the waters of creation. In the Eastern religion of Buddhism, the fish symbolizes happiness and freedom. Finally in the Ancient Celtic legends, the fish had symbolic meanings of determination, and the flow of life. It was observed by these cultures that fish often display enormous attributes of adaptability in the wild. I had been reflecting upon these ancestral beliefs when I decided to ask Erica Begley to participate in a Mentor / Mentee project with me. I proposed to the M/M Committee at William Woods University that Erica and I create a free online book, titled: “Out of the Mouth of the First Fish.” The book will contain stories about the experiences I have had as a naturalist and fisherman. The e-book will conclude with a “Nature Gallery”. This for me is a very important way to align my art with environmental stewardship and to be grateful for my time on this beautiful planet! I believe my art students understand how much inspiration I derive from nature! One student who I have fished with many times and who I wrote about in story seven, is Scott. I wrote about him in story seven and recalled a story of an incident that made us question the things mankind does to alter the balance of nature! We were in the Middle River, connected to the Missouri River near Mokane, Missouri. As we motored up into the flooded Middle River an Asian Carp nearly hit me when the big fish jumped into the boat. This incident made me ask about how and why this strange thing happened. I begin to research invasive species and attempt to find answers to questions I had about the strange looking fish. What I have discovered is alarming! This fish is a species of Asian Carp native to north and northeast parts of Asia. So how did it get in the Missouri River? And why were there so many jumping out of the water? I discovered that foolish tampering with nature, to control alga in ponds where catfish were raised, resulted in the escape of this species when a flood occurred. Now, the fish with no natural predators is filter feeding its way to huge size. The growth of this fish is so quick and in such numbers that the ecosystem that previously supported native fish is in jeopardy. Not all I write about and paint is a sublime portrayal of nature. In the past there have been mass die offs and in the future the same will likely occur. I value and cherish my time and experience on this blue planet, with such an atmosphere that I can live. I will do what I can to remind others of our responsibility as stewards of this planet how vital our role is. Hear in a garden of this universe we live. May we live and discover synergy of spirits to positively care for all life. My hope for all humans in diverse places on earth is for an exchange of ideas to keep what we love alive and in the proper balance for future generations. |
"Trash to Treasure"
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Synergy
Most synchronistic is my friendship and appreciation of nature with Professor Roger Wen as we share stories of our individual love of nature from varied points of origin. I remember Roger once connecting a theory of origin. He remembered being taught as a boy in school, that it takes two dots to create a line, intersection of lines to create a surface, combination of surfaces to form a cube, and ultimately location and time to have this universe.
I believe, Roger, it is a synergy we experience when our minds make connections and it is by love we share new ideas!
I believe, Roger, it is a synergy we experience when our minds make connections and it is by love we share new ideas!
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Trash to Treasure
Erica My motivation for this art activity goes back to discussions Professor Martin and I had relating to the natural environment. Also the synergy and spiritual aspects of our Mentor / Mentee project carried over and influenced our art therapy efforts with the Rosa Parks Center. The synergistic spirit of our work is also flowing into my website Erica's Art Lessons ericasartlessons.weebly.com I plan to be an art teacher and feel this concept of "synergistic spirit" will flow on into my future. |