Spiritualised

The work is a series of male subjects that have volunteered to heal themselves. The male body becomes exclusive in this series because it looks at masculinity becoming a political subject in media.

My desire to study the troubled man from the wake of 2014 Incel attacks as well as the rise of feminism during the #metoo movement. Troubled men you read in the paper. Internet sites that fuel aggression and cause hatred within these men. Men whom have brought themselves amongst the innocent to paths of destruction. Male suicide. Men who hate women that have intention to kill. Men who abuse their power.

With all of this, I am interested in capturing a vulnerability that comes undone when a man heals.

While my practice still involves men and relationship to landscapes, I have taken this moment to address these questions. How do men heal? What does it mean to heal? What does it look like? Can we heal not just ourselves but for others? Reverse a man’s ‘wrong-doing’? How does society make them accountable? While these events carry a burden for the man, it represents a redemption for this man - a way to leave behind a life of trauma, pressure in expectation of gendered roles.

Egg healing is a ritual originally from ancient Mesoamerican folk ritual where the subject stands whilst the shaman rolls a fresh egg over the body. This ritual removes toxins and evil spirits and is transferred into the egg is is disposed. The subject is then healed and the egg is smashed and thrown away. I chose this ritual because of the enigmatic use for the egg. Its maternal, potential for life but end of latency.

‘Spiritualised’ also looks at the fascination of spiritual and mystical trends, holistic healing outside of western medicine. Perhaps we all need some healing.