BODY AS SITE

Remembering The Reason Why, Oil on linen, 100 x 60 cm

I recently had lunch with two friends, one who is doing her honours year in Archaeology at the University of Qld and the other a psychologist. I have also recently met up with another friend who has studied Anthropology and Shamanism. I have also recently had a vibrational kineseolgy session with a friend who is learning the 'art'. Today I experienced an amazing clearing session with 'wholistic practioner' Gabrielle Engstrom. I have also listened to an audio of Rachael Kohn from the ABC's 'Spirit Of Things' interviewing author and academic Dr. David Tacey about his recent book 'Gods and Diseases'  http://www.abc.net.au/rn/spiritofthings/stories/2011/3189364.htm I have recently read this fascinating book.

So why have I told you all about my array of lunch dates, readings, listenings and clearings....because they are all linked to understanding and 'seeing' the body as site. How? In the conversations with my archaeology, anthropolgy and psychology friends we seemed to have 'excavated', from numerous angles, the body's potential to contain information, within the physical, as well as the emotional, subconscious and spirit.  I discussed, with my archaeology friend, that releasing and letting go of unhelpful beliefs is like digging on a site to discover those things which are worth keeping and those that are not. New knowledge is gained.

                    

                                                    Finding The Light Oil on linen 100 x 70 cm

The clearing session with Gabrielle was certainly a process of digging, unlayering, revealing...even things I was not consioulsy aware of. She seemed to tap into my subconscious, but at the same time explore my physical state, instantly compelling me to understand that the body's wellbeing, signals deeper emotional and subconscious issues.

This then brings me to David Tacey's book 'Gods and Diseases'. Tacey takes a Jungian perspective, and then extends it, to propose that modern diseases and the increasing propensity for them [eg: drug abuse, alcholism, depression, mid life crisis etc] are the result of not paying attention to the inner calling of spirit and soul. He proposes that if these callings are not heard and listened to, the 'gods' ' desires [ie: our inner callings]to be heard are so great, they will manifest in any way to get attention...and this can be in the form of disease, addiction etc. The book excavates the body as a site for not only physical out-picturings, but as a site for deeper realms of soul and spirit. Tacey also discusses archetypal symbols and their power to help us respond and 'speak', to the callings from within. Regular readers who know of my love of the transcultural/religious tree-of-life motif will know how excited I got when I read this book!

Our bodies, upon death, return to the earth. What happens to our souls? Well, that's one of the BIG questions asked over milennia! But, if our souls return to spirit, which like the earth could be called an 'environment', it seems to me that the idea of body as site extends beyond death, both literally/physically and spiritually. Indeed, they cannot be separated. It seems, in another sense, that death is not really an end. The site of existence is this universe...which may, of course be a multiverse, where time is not necessarily linear or simple.

                                  

                                                                             Becoming Oil on linen 100 x 70 cm

So, with all this in mind, why have I chosen to upload these four paintings?

With Remembering The Reason Why [top] I was trying to portray the idea that there is an urge for life which is shared by us all. This urge is imbedded in our DNA, which may hold human race 'memory', as well as familial genetic memory. Remembering is, I believe, a form of excavation. It is a process which explores time and can illuminate, not only the present but also the past and the future. http://kathrynbrimblecombeart.blogspot.com/2010/10/remembering-reason-why.html

Becoming [above] was inspired by Dr. Norman Doidge's book 'The Brain That Changes Itself'. To 'become' who we are meant to be, the body, brain and psyche have the opportunity to move together...but often they don't. Neuroplasticity enables us to potentially change identified or 'excavated' issues that hold us back hindering almost every aspect of life. In the painting, the trees erupting from the woman's heart, head, hands and feet symbolically connect all aspects of her being to the energy of the universe...the tree archetype helps her connect to spirit?  http://kathrynbrimblecombeart.blogspot.com/2010/02/becoming.html

The painting further above called Finding The Light, and the one below called Becoming The Light, speak of the power of the tree-of-life as a trigger to observe and to listen to the 'Gods' that beckon our 'other' side...the one which seeks deeper meaning apart from the material world.

 

 

Becoming the Light Oil on linen 160 x 120 cm

Cheers,
Kathryn