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SOUL WINDOWS
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Note: The website has dated this Dec. 5, 2018. I started working on ihe post then, and inadvertently posted it before it was finished. It's evolved over time. I consider the real "debut" date to be New Year's day (Jan. 1) 2019. II look forward to more sharing in this new year --from me to you, and hopefully, from you to me and the rest of the world, noting what resonates. My intention is to fill your soul with rich images and ideas. Which ones strike you?
We've all heard the phrase that "the eyes are the window to the soul," and in the last few months I've been looking at art with a particular focus on the eyes, considering the way we might really glimpse the soul the artist was seeing. It's an interesting exercise, one that could be used as a productive writing prompt.
I came to realize that perhaps the most distancing (and sometimes disturbing) aspect of masks is those empty eyes--it's more than the fact that a particular identity is hidden. The blankness is fundamentally disturbing, even though we may be able to feel the character or emotion inscribed by a good mask maker, and even though the blank eyes allow us to project something archetypal.
Here are a few examples of empty eyes (remember to click on the images for a fuller view):
I came to realize that perhaps the most distancing (and sometimes disturbing) aspect of masks is those empty eyes--it's more than the fact that a particular identity is hidden. The blankness is fundamentally disturbing, even though we may be able to feel the character or emotion inscribed by a good mask maker, and even though the blank eyes allow us to project something archetypal.
Here are a few examples of empty eyes (remember to click on the images for a fuller view):
Masks or sculpted faces that keep the blankness but fill in the holes seem melancholy, but are more relatable.
It's the eyeballs, literally, that enliven the face, and we feel most kinship with those that include the spark of light. I know I'm getting a little carried away here with this many images, but I find them so fascinating that it's hard to edit many out. Let your eyes wander over these eyes, and see which grab you and why.
Finally, I couldn't resist: the light shining through the eyes of some real folks--the artist, other than the camera, is the divine spark of creation itself. Whether the eyes are open wide or crinkled in a smile, the soul window is clearly present.
1 Comments
Is it any wonder that when a person dies the first thing that is done is to pull the lids down over the eyes. Looking at a person who was living and breathing moments before would be so jarring if the eyes were left open once their spirit had left their body. I think the spirit is most evident in the eyes, and that's why masks seem so "vacant."