As a woman, there are many challenges I face daily: proving myself to a patriarchal world, living freely yet still remaining to some extent, "lady-like" and - this one's for the boys, too - making my parents proud. Yet, after attending a matchless art show on Sunday, I realized there is something I don't worry about too often - my health.
Every year, thousands of women are diagnosed with breast cancer and for many of them, their battle is fought valiantly yet lost in dignified tragedy. Some of these women, however, are reborn after months of disarraying treatment and ardent tribulations. The latter of these women have survived the battle; they have beaten the rotten culprit like a broom against a dusty carpet.
These women are the exalted nobility of the world - in my utopia - and they have been given a gift far more priceless than any sought-after treasure. How exhilarating it would be to be blessed with a second chance at life!
Sunday afternoon was a beautiful day.
As I drove to Borrowed Time on the Road, an art exhibit showcasing the "creativity and healing" of New Mexican breast cancer survivors, I had no idea where I was going or what to expect. To say the very least, I was pleasantly surprised once I arrived at my destination.
According to a program I was given at the show, Borrowed Time On the Road was first shown at the Governor's Gallery in Santa Fe in July of 2000 and featured about 40 artists. Originally sponsored by Dee Johnson, New Mexico's first lady, the show has since been displayed at the Women's Health Center in Santa Fe, The Susan G. Komen Race For The Cure in Albuquerque, The Macey Center at New Mexico Technical Institute in Socorro and is now on exhibit at St. Joseph's Cancer Center in Albuquerque.
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The show presents a wide array of approaches including every media from oils, pastels, poetry, charcoal and pen and ink drawings, collages, watercolors, clays and handmade dolls. Each piece had an immaculate quality about it, and I almost had to force myself to move onto the next piece of art.
There was an inexplicable aura surrounding each piece, as if each one contained a triumphant life of its own. There was also an artist's statement accompanying each piece where each expressed, in the most honest and heartfelt way, her own personal account of the healing process. For many of these women, their ability to create was healing - a cathartic escape from the underlying despondence in their lives.
Yet, amazingly enough, each of these women held with them a certainty of optimism along with a new appreciation for the world. It was as if they were thrown tomatoes and instead of throwing them back, they made tomato soup.
I wish I had the vernacular to put into words what each piece represented, or even to what degree I was affected. Unfortunately, I'm still learning so the best I can do is give an indomitable description of a couple of the pieces.
Margaret Parrott, showcased two paintings each with an individualistic quality. One, titled "Window on Tomorrow," revealed a contrast between light and dark, with the focus of night and day being divided by a stairway that ascended towards heaven.
In her statement, Parrott says, "Working with color, or even planning a project, is a cure-all anytime I'm low or confused. The daily world, the routine, the responsibilities, and worries fade. Looking at rhythmic shapes or exciting colors is like a long rest in a comfy bed, resulting in a strengthening and renewal. This is my focus. This is a formula that works for my life."
Another artist, Carol Jordan, expressed herself through selections of her poetry. To her, "writing provides not only an emotional release, but often helps us expand and grow, looking at things in a new light."
In one of her poems, titled "two," she describes her experience: "The weeping strikes unexpectedly. / I not only have cancer, I have no self-control. / How undignified it feels to not only bare my breasts/ But also my heart."
Walking through the art exhibit, it took all my strength not to cry. As I struggled to restrain my tears from falling, I began to realize what these women go through and how truly glorifiable their victories are. Art is meant to bring emotion to the speculator, but good art carries along with it an understanding - in a sense, a bit of the same passion the artist felt when the piece was created. The women who worked together to produce this display are not only soldiers of war, they are innovators of the spirit.
Borrowed Time on the Road will be on display at St. Joseph's Cancer Center, two blocks north of Montgomery Boulevard on Jefferson Avenue, through the first part of April and is open to the public. Viewing hours are Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. For information, call 727-4997.
