Kay Sarver –
Alter For Her
Brother
Oil on Board
A few years ago, I became very
interested in the indigenous people of the Americas. This began after reading a
book about the Aztec Indians. My interest in Mexico became much more heightened,
so I made a trip for the first time to this wondrous and magical country.
My reaction was much like a small child seeing something for the first time. The
cultural backgrounds were so fascinating; so colorful and full of life. I truly
fell in love with the people. However, it became apparent that their struggle
for life is significant. As much as I enjoyed the country and it's people, this
affected me strongly.
I knew I had started into a new artistic direction that began to unfold with
time. In order to express myself visually about this subject today, I felt I
needed to learn more about the truth of the past. As I learned more, my vision
expanded and I began to research the history of all the Indians of the Americas.
It became a personal mission: as if I was being guided. I think, in a way, all
artists are guided. It seems only natural.
These people that I paint are a representation of all the "People." In
most tribes, the Indians referred to themselves as the "Human Beings"
or the "People." Usually I portray them in a simple act of necessity,
which I feel could be universally symbolic for all indigenous peoples.
The aura that appears from the top of the head, which is mostly seen as a halo,
is the pure energy being emitted by this "pure at heart" soul. This is
the way I believe these people need to be seen. After all the years of
subjection, they and their ancestors deserve to be viewed with a more
compassionate and truthful eye. They have endured with humility and grace a
stature that is worthy of so much more. If only we could hear the wisdom of
their ancestors, perhaps this will be our saving grace.
This is what my art is a small part of. I hope that more awareness and growth
will lead to the ultimate healing for all.
BACK
|