Concept: narrative art -- art which represents elements of a story.
Featured artists:
Wendy Stavrianos: painter, sculptor, mixed-media and installation artist from Australia;
Clarissa Pinkola Estés: Jungian psychoanalyst, cantadora, poet and author from USA;
'elle shepherd: poet and mixed-media artist from Tapawera, NZ
Clarissa Pinkola Estés: Jungian psychoanalyst, cantadora, poet and author from USA;
'elle shepherd: poet and mixed-media artist from Tapawera, NZ
"With the collapse of the universal systems of meaning or meta-narratives, a re-narrativization of the culture takes place, emphasizing communication and the impact of the message on the audience. There is today an interest in narratives, on the telling of stories."[i]
In giving voice to their visions, women artists draw directly from the narratives of their lives, from their personal, familial, and cultural relationships and experiences: pleasure and pain; success and loss; memories; thoughts; intuitive wisdom; the complexity of emotion and feeling; the mysteries of existence and identity; spiritual journeying; interaction with the natural world, the earth; psychic forays into myths and dreams.“Aspects of the Storyteller” focuses on the relationships between the jungian style artworks of Wendy Stavrianos, the psychoanalytical writings of Dr Estés and the storytelling artwork of ‘elle shepherd.
Wendy Stavrianos exemplifies the Storyteller as Artist/Shaman. She describes her work as deriving from a visionary experience -- examining the timeless theme of the cycle of life enacted in the physical and psychological 'theatre of self'. The Artist/Shaman searches the depths of self and soul and translates that experience, telling the story of inter-connection, irrespective of time, race, gender, class or creed.
The Gatherer and the Flame[2]: The Gatherer is a repetitive symbol in Stavrianos’ work and is representative of the archetypal feminine qualities. A Gatherer is one who collects, a collector of stories; one who wishes to learn, to understand and to ‘tell’ that story.
“Stories are medicine. They have such power; they do not require that we do, be, act anything – we need only listen… Stories are embedded with instructions which guide us about the complexities of life”[3] explains Dr Estés.
Stavrianos describes the feminine figures in The Gatherers in a Timeless Land[4] as sentinels and guardians emanating power and illuminating the interchange of soul reality and outward expression.
Stavrianos states: “I feel the artist is a kind of medium. Through him or her, the universal is filtered. They are the voice and the conscience of the time in which they live. The artist must adhere to the voices and portents that come to them as a result of their sensitivity to what they see and hear internally and externally.
Images that are felt deeply can convey that truth of the artist’s time and can speak to the future generations.” [5]
[6]Art which represents elements of a story “is…a map for those who follow after,” as Dr Estés states.[7]
"In dealing with stories, we are handling archetypal energy, which we could metaphorically describe as being like electricity. This electrical power can animate and enlighten…”[8] Artists as storytellers have the power to enlighten.
It is only after experiencing the vicissitudes of life that a woman artist realizes that she has a voice, that she has statements to make about life; about culture; about hope; about fear; about the future.
Artist as Healer: Through her interpretation of myths, legends and fables, Dr Estés reveals the centuries-old repression of emotional truth, intuitive wisdom and instinctual self-confidence and the need for reclamation.Before written language reduced symbolism to the lines in contemporary art and design, the symbols of myth, legend and fable were associated with music and dance, with ritual, with pattern, with metaphor and visual expression, and with nature, tradition and experience.
The Storyteller, whether as Artist/shaman or as Artist/healer/myth translator or as Artist/storymaker has a responsibility to interpret the universal truths from personal experience and cultural connection and to illuminate the need for personal, cultural and ecological healing.
Personal, Social and Ecological Healing[11] reflects a recurrent theme, personal healing, in the most recent artworks of shepherd. The black and white, Untitled[12], shown at the beginning of the essay/blog, includes text within the image. A portion of that text, taken from Dr Estés book, reads: “Where there is a wound on the psyches and bodies of women, there is a 
corresponding wound at the same site in the culture itself, and finally on nature herself. In a true holistic psychology all worlds are understood as interdependent, not as separate entities. It is not amazing that in our culture there is an issue about carving up a woman’s natural body, that there is a corresponding issue about carving up the landscape and yet another about carving up the culture into fashionable parts as well.” [13]
corresponding wound at the same site in the culture itself, and finally on nature herself. In a true holistic psychology all worlds are understood as interdependent, not as separate entities. It is not amazing that in our culture there is an issue about carving up a woman’s natural body, that there is a corresponding issue about carving up the landscape and yet another about carving up the culture into fashionable parts as well.” [13]Many Artist/storytellers articulate, in their work, the necessity for a return to a spiritual link with the Earth and the yearning for personal, social and ecological healing.
Those storytellers who perceive stories as medicine are exhorted by Dr Estés to excavate the stories from their own lives, their own experiences and from their own heritage and there must be “a good deal of blood spilled on every story, on every aspect of your own life, if it is to carry the numen, if a person is to carry a true medicine." [14]
“…work with these stories from your life…”[15]
Innocence Dies [17] The child cries,
bleeds;
unheard, unseen.
Innocence dies,
The Exhibition, Aspects Of The Storyteller, has been designed to present selected artworks and/or quotes from each participant, focusing on the relationships between the jungian style artworks of Wendy Stavrianos, the psychoanalytical writings of Dr Estés and the storytelling artwork of ‘elle shepherd, in order to give some understanding of the role of The Storyteller as Artist/Shaman/Healer/Communicator and catalyst for personal, social/cultural, and ecological healing.
To reiterate the words of Wendy Stavrianos: “They [artists] are the voice and the conscience of the time in which they live. The artist must adhere to the voices and portents that come to them as a result of their sensitivity to what they see and hear internally and externally. Images that are felt deeply can convey that truth of the artist’s time and can speak to the future generations.”[18]
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endnotes:
[1] Kvale, S. Themes of Postmodernity. Course readings
[2] The Gatherer and the Flame, Wendy Stavrianos, oil on board, 40.0 x 25.0 cm,
http://www.metro5gallery.com.au/artiststavrianos.htm 28/04/2007
[3] Estés, CP. (1992). Women who run with wolves. p.14
[4] The Gatherers in a Timeless Land, Wendy Stavrianos, installation, mixed-media, (1994), drawing 167x276; floor 320x334cm, Plate 147, Voight, A. (1996). New Visions.New Perspectives, Craftsman House. Australia
[5] Stavrianos, W. (1996) New Visions.New Perspectives, Craftsman House. Australia
[6] Excerpt 1, Estés, CP. (1992). Women who run with wolves. p.202
[7] Excerpt 2, Estés, CP. (1992). Women who run with wolves. p.472
[8] Estés, CP. (1992). Women who run with wolves. p.470
[9] Autumn Mantle, Wendy Stavrianos , Oil on linen, (1992), 184.5x108cm Plate 143, Voight, A. (1996). New Visions.New Perspectives, Craftsman House. Australia
[10] Stavrianos, W. (1996) New visions.new perspectives. p. 261
[11] Personal, Social and Ecological Healing, ‘elle shepherd, digital manipulation and replication of pencil and ink drawing, (2007), 42x60cm
[12] Untitled, ‘elle shepherd, digital manipulation and replication of pencil and ink drawing, (2007), 42x60cm
[13] Estés, CP. (1992). Women who run with wolves. p.202
[14] Estés, CP. (1992). Women who run with wolves. p.472
[15] Estés, CP. (1992). Women who run with wolves. p.472
[16] Innocence dies, ‘elle shepherd, (2007), photo manipulation, text layered and photo print overlay, 20x30cm
[17] Stavrianos, W. (1996) New Visions.New Perspectives, Craftsman House. Australia
[2] The Gatherer and the Flame, Wendy Stavrianos, oil on board, 40.0 x 25.0 cm,
http://www.metro5gallery.com.au/artiststavrianos.htm 28/04/2007
[3] Estés, CP. (1992). Women who run with wolves. p.14
[4] The Gatherers in a Timeless Land, Wendy Stavrianos, installation, mixed-media, (1994), drawing 167x276; floor 320x334cm, Plate 147, Voight, A. (1996). New Visions.New Perspectives, Craftsman House. Australia
[5] Stavrianos, W. (1996) New Visions.New Perspectives, Craftsman House. Australia
[6] Excerpt 1, Estés, CP. (1992). Women who run with wolves. p.202
[7] Excerpt 2, Estés, CP. (1992). Women who run with wolves. p.472
[8] Estés, CP. (1992). Women who run with wolves. p.470
[9] Autumn Mantle, Wendy Stavrianos , Oil on linen, (1992), 184.5x108cm Plate 143, Voight, A. (1996). New Visions.New Perspectives, Craftsman House. Australia
[10] Stavrianos, W. (1996) New visions.new perspectives. p. 261
[11] Personal, Social and Ecological Healing, ‘elle shepherd, digital manipulation and replication of pencil and ink drawing, (2007), 42x60cm
[12] Untitled, ‘elle shepherd, digital manipulation and replication of pencil and ink drawing, (2007), 42x60cm
[13] Estés, CP. (1992). Women who run with wolves. p.202
[14] Estés, CP. (1992). Women who run with wolves. p.472
[15] Estés, CP. (1992). Women who run with wolves. p.472
[16] Innocence dies, ‘elle shepherd, (2007), photo manipulation, text layered and photo print overlay, 20x30cm
[17] Stavrianos, W. (1996) New Visions.New Perspectives, Craftsman House. Australia
