In Relief

Seeing more deeply

Light is being show into some dark corners these days.
We are seeing some harsh truths.

I am being reminded of the types of artforms that use raised and lowered lines to show that which is usually hidden. Sometimes inverse images, or even more complete images, are revealed.

For example
The art of stone rubbing starts with rubbing a utensil like a pencil on paper that covers a raised surface, like a gravestone. The pencil led leaves a copy of the carving on the paper.

Expanded consciousness

Here’s some interested mindfulness homework for expanding our consciousness.

The next time your anger is constricting your ability to see a wider picture, try asking yourself these questions:

What is being shown in relief?

Where is the white space here?

What is being blasted out, and what is not being blasted, yet is right there, hidden in plain sight?

For example
On Christian holiday Ash Wednesday, there were photos of Boston Mayor Wu with ashes on her forehead as she held her baby and testified before Congress defending Boston’s sanctuary city policies.

There are many conversations to be had here. What are the multiple levels of meaning shown directly, and also hidden, in these images?

A google search produced these phrases

in relief
carved, molded, or stamped so as to stand out from the surface.

on relief
receiving government assistance because of need. "he was the type of man who ended up on relief when times were flush for everyone else"

Origin

late Middle English: from Old French, from relever ‘raise up, relieve’, from Latin relevare ‘raise again, alleviate’.

Hmmmmm, interesting stuff.

I hope this give you something to chew on as we navigate these times.

Kind regards,
Gena Bean
MBZ1 Lead Teacher

PS- Members:

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