At the beginning of the new millennium, science reached the level of development people could hardly imagine before. But at the same time, the very existence of humans is under the threat. It is paradox that people poison water and drink it after that. People and animals now live in an increasingly dangerous environment; lots of pollutants are every day emitted into the air, millions of tons of dangerous waste are poured into the water. The crisis of culture is obvious now as this pattern is being repeated over and over again.
Artists have always been interested in the way how everything is interconnected on our planet. So the Art cannot stand a part of it and ignore the state of the environment (Gablic, 1985, 26).
The first impression is that modern art is far from beautiful. Some critics pronounce beauty dead in “protest against the ugliness of war”. These days we can also observe another global rejection of beauty. Everything in our society seems to progress but for spiritual understanding. (Sacred Wild).
Spirituality in art goes in and out of fashion periodically. Photography, which is not usually referred to as “spiritual”, nowadays is a powerful tool for carrying spiritual ideas (Amy Watson on “Sacred Wild”).
The sacred Wild exhibition, curated by Suzi Gablic, examines the way modern artists are viewing sacred images.
The works of two artists, Fern Shaffer and Othello Anderson, can serve as an example of “the best spiritual art across cultures and time, the work that still enthralls us, that combines the personal touch with a great sense of something beyond the individual – not universal but transcendent”.
In 1995 these artists decided to collaborate together, and it lasted for 9 years. The main purpose of their work was to heal the earth. Coming of the millennium was the fact that inspired them to create the duo; they wanted to make to help the earth through this critical period. Every year since that time they performed a ritual in some remote natural area. Every time they used one and the same costume made of natural materials and talisman objects. Shaffer danced dreamily and Anderson took pictures. There was no audience except nature and the camera. “We recognize the forest in which to meditate […] We understand the imperative of listening. We believe that it is helpful to believe in miracles. As we love and protect ourselves so shall we love and protect the earth”. (Gablic, 1992, 19). Shaffer says that “The tides of change, the degradation of the biosphere, and information overload inspired us to develop our art as ritual”.
As the artists state, their main aim was “to bring spirit back into the community and the world at large”. They are convinced that rituals can speak to the soul; this language does not necessarily imply the use of words. These photos help people to understand and feel that on earth everything is interconnected. Everything is in balance, and people must do their best to keep harmony between nature, spirit, and science. Shaffer and Anderson are sure that the earth is a living and feeling entity, which response to people’s efforts.
The choice of the number nine wasn’t random. It symbolizes the complete cycle of growth, finishing of something, and a new beginning, millennium. The photographs helped them to carry the message to the audience.
- The first ritual took place in Illinois in 1995; we can observe plant life in winter.
- The second ritual was held in 1996 by the Pacific Ocean in California. The photo offers the idea that water is the source of life on earth.
- The third ritual was performed in a cornfield in Wisconsin in March 1997. the idea is that the earth is the source of food.
- The fourth one took place in 1998 on Blue Ridge Mountain, Virginia. The message is that people should preserve the minerals.
- The fifth ritual was performed in May 1999 at the lowest plateau in Death Valley, California. The authors’ concern is to show the effects of global warming.
- The sixth ritual was in 2000 on Temagami Island in Canada. The focus was on the disappearance of old-growth forests.
- The seventh ritual took place by the Mississippi. The authors’ idea was to lay stress on the importance of waterways for transportation, energy, etc.
- The eights ritual was performed in 2002 in order to demonstrate the threatening condition of oceans.
- The ninth ritual took place at Cashe River Basin in Illinois in 2003. The main idea of the photo is the importance of the preservation of wetlands (Fern Shaffer and Othello Anderson).
The artists “view the earth as sacred, invoking it as an altar and transmitting healing energy to specific landscapes under threat”.
Fern Shaffer’s ritual photos were presented in the book The Reenchantment of Art by Gables. Shaffer and Anderson’s works best embody Suzi Gablic’s curatorial vision. Their photos are the embodiment of the dynamic life force which animates everything. The world they show is not lifeless, it has feelings and soul. Looking at the pictures we understand that what seems to be an end can be a new beginning.
Works Cited
Fern Shaffer and Othello Anderson. 2008. Web.
Gablic, Suzi. Sacred Wild. 2008. Web.
Amy Watsom on “Sacred Wild” 2008. Web.
Gablic, Suzi. Has the Modernism Failed? Thames & Hudson; New edition, 1985.
Gablic, Suzi. “The Artist as Enchanter”. Common Boundary, 1992, vol.10, is. 2.
Gablik, Suzi. The Reenchantment of Art. Thames & Hudson, 1991.
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