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Scarring,
piercing, and tattooing of the body have been used in virtually all societies
throughout the pages of history for a variety of purposes, including beatification
and identification. Artist and arts administrator, Alcsand (Alec) Franklor,
uses body art for spiritual transformation.
"Our
lives are recorded in our memories and physical bodies. We fall and scrape
a knee, get the chicken pox, have surgery, and the scars live on to remind
us of these difficulties. But why should the body only record the painful
events in our lives?" asks Alec. "Why not also allow the body
to hold a record of our celebrations, our accomplishments?"
Misunderstood
by a majority of the population, body art remains an underrepresented
art form. While scarring, piercing and tattooing are often believed to
be impulsive, decorative or self-mutilating acts, body art can be a contemplative,
deliberate and well-orchestrated process with a spiritual motivation.
With appropriate intention, the body art becomes the physical manifestation
of the spiritual transformation.
"At some
point in our lives we survey our external world and begin to realize that
there is something beyond that universe. We begin to change how we deal
with our mind and our body, and their relationship to the world and to
the Divine," says Richard Karuzas, an artist living in Liverpool.
"From then on, each decision we make changes us forever as we travel
along unknown paths to our spiritual destiny."
While most
body art involves pain, people who use body art for spiritual transformation,
consider the pain to be irrelevant in view of the motivation to achieve
transformation and self-knowledge. Much like the pain involved in training
the body to run a marathon or the pain in giving birth, the physical discomfort
is overshadowed by the goal.
"I met
Alec while we were working with a group of artists on a beautification
project in downtown Syracuse," comments Richard. "I noticed
her body art and was so fascinated by it that I asked her to model for
me. As I was in the process of painting her portraits, she explained to
me the relationship between her body art and her spiritual development."
The two artists
will discuss the use of body art for spiritual transformation at the Delevan
Art Center at 3pm on May 27th.
Similar to
a photo album, scrap book, or personal journal, the tattoos on her chest
and sides, cuttings on her shoulders and various piercings tell the story
of Alec's journey along her life path.
At the culmination
of her first spiritual retreat, Alec commissioned a tattoo of a solar
design across her chest to remind her of the personal and spiritual power
she had tapped into during the retreat. She reports that during the months
following the tattooing, her ability to speak her personal truth dramatically
increased.
Referencing
the physical experience of receiving her first tattoo, Alec wrote in her
journal, "I endured the pain of the tattoo by knowing that it was
my spirit that was going to be freed by the breaking of the skin. I now
feel that I have power I didn't have before. The tattoo acts like a shield
on my chest."
The cuttings
on her shoulders display a design of bird wings. "Birds have always
been part of my spiritual life. They often act as signs, messengers, and
guides for me," states Alec. In scarification through cutting, a
raised scar is created through routinely opening the cut and introducing
an irritant. "The daily choice to pull off of the scabs was akin
to removing the layers of wounds and misunderstandings that kept me mired
in confusion. The thick scars then became a symbol of my healing, my strength
to work through my toughest issues," she says.
Each step
along her path has lead to a deeper acceptance of her true self, and therefore
of the Divine. "We are each made as individuals with unique talents
to share with the world, as given to us by the Divine. Until we accept
all the good and challenging parts of ourselves, how can we know and accept
the Divine fully into our lives?" asks Alec. "How can we do
the work that Spirit has given us to do?" It is with this in mind
that Alec continues on her path of self-discovery, marking the steps through
ink, scars and metal hoops.
A public presentation
of the use of body art for spiritual transformation will be given May
27th at 3pm at the Delevan Art Gallery, 501 W Fayette St, Syracuse, NY.
The presentation will include a discussion of body art as a means of spiritual
transformation, paintings by Richard Karuzas depicting Alec Franklor's
body art, and a short video created by Richard documenting Alec's use
of body art for spiritual transformation.
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