This is a vast subject, but after looking at Archive of Moving Image (NLS of Scotland based in Kelvinhall Glasgow) films Holidaying in Harris and Second Glance Hands I decided to look at hands. Irene McAra McWilliam and Corita Kent in her book Learning by Heart both encourage the use of “something everyday” as your creative source. Most of us have hands. We could not have completed this “Being Human” project without them.
I used hands to represent the discomfort of the Herring Womens’ hands, their bandages to protect and the resultant cumbersomeness. Each of our actions have consequences, in that bandaging their hands protects but also impairs. Being human we are part of humanity, our actions have an effect around us, represented in my painting “The Ripple Effect”.
Humanity is united by the current Worldwide Covid pandemic, but the consequences of that are that we are separated too. Hands are the same AND different. We use them to care, caress, communicate, touch, join, create, be cruel, heal and of extreme relevance now also to contaminate.
Features of our Humanity include contrast, change, adaptability, differing perceptions.Each individual sees things differently. Merely completing the Being Human project has demonstrated human traits in myself: challenge, interest, fear, uncertainty, like, dislike, unknown…just doing.
I have sought to use the symbolism of hands to convey some of these traits. SAME and DIFFERENT, TOGETHER and APART.