"Six Point Five Weeks"
This weekend is Mother's Day. Let me just think with you about the ladies in my family.
The photo above represents our two girls. Odia, who created the Instillation art in the background entitled "Evidence of a Trial." is our second daughter. In the for-ground is a piece entitled "Six Point Five Weeks" representing Candace who died after she had been abducted, hogtied and left to die in the severe November -25 degree winter temperatures. We found her in this shed 6.5 weeks later.
After the trial for the man who was accused of her murder I was exploding with a lot of different emotions. This piece allowed me to make something that would force me to go where no one should ever have to go. Creating this allowed me to go Into that shed in an attempt to feel what Candace felt that night. To imagine her terror and the pain of the rope as she's hogtied and tortured. Even imagine the confusion and horror of my13 year old innocent daughter as she experiences a sexual pervert in action. Doing this piece, I could weep and grieve. Where I could squish and manipulate the wet clay in processing my own pain, anguish and frustration. Where I could go to examine the depth of the forgiveness I would eventually actually have to go too.
I had initially intended to make them her hands, but I just could not go there. I had to make them mine.
Today U.S. First Lady Michelle Obama, a mother of two girls, addressed the world regarding the tragic abductions of girls from their school dormitory.
“This unconscionable act was committed by a terrorist group determined to keep these girls from getting an education — grown men attempting to snuff out the aspirations of young girls,” she said. “Let us hold their families in our hearts during this very difficult time, and let us show just a fraction of their courage in fighting to give every girl on this planet the education that is her
birthright.”
My heart goes out to the parents of these 276 girls. We cannot imagine what they may be going through and we cannot imagine the anguish of their parents, and this weekend, their mothers.
May God bless our Mother's on this Mother's Day.
The photo above represents our two girls. Odia, who created the Instillation art in the background entitled "Evidence of a Trial." is our second daughter. In the for-ground is a piece entitled "Six Point Five Weeks" representing Candace who died after she had been abducted, hogtied and left to die in the severe November -25 degree winter temperatures. We found her in this shed 6.5 weeks later.
After the trial for the man who was accused of her murder I was exploding with a lot of different emotions. This piece allowed me to make something that would force me to go where no one should ever have to go. Creating this allowed me to go Into that shed in an attempt to feel what Candace felt that night. To imagine her terror and the pain of the rope as she's hogtied and tortured. Even imagine the confusion and horror of my13 year old innocent daughter as she experiences a sexual pervert in action. Doing this piece, I could weep and grieve. Where I could squish and manipulate the wet clay in processing my own pain, anguish and frustration. Where I could go to examine the depth of the forgiveness I would eventually actually have to go too.
I had initially intended to make them her hands, but I just could not go there. I had to make them mine.
Today U.S. First Lady Michelle Obama, a mother of two girls, addressed the world regarding the tragic abductions of girls from their school dormitory.
“This unconscionable act was committed by a terrorist group determined to keep these girls from getting an education — grown men attempting to snuff out the aspirations of young girls,” she said. “Let us hold their families in our hearts during this very difficult time, and let us show just a fraction of their courage in fighting to give every girl on this planet the education that is her
birthright.”
My heart goes out to the parents of these 276 girls. We cannot imagine what they may be going through and we cannot imagine the anguish of their parents, and this weekend, their mothers.
May God bless our Mother's on this Mother's Day.
Assiniboine Park Conservatory, May, 2014 by Cliff Derksen
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