The exhibit "Relationship: Spirit to Body, Body to Body, Body to Space" which was at the Deep River Library Program Room for slightly over 2 weeks during the month of October, 2011, was seen by over 300 viewers, 70 of which signed the guest book and 50 of those made comments. The worst 2 comments were "mixed" and "would like to see more technical exellcence to match the creative talent". About 20 of them were somewhat non-commital in saying, "Intriguing", "Interesting", "Thought provoking".
Here is a selection from the rest of the comments.
"Bold!"
(in a childlike handwriting)- "Very good pictures"
"Very imaginative. Exceeds that of painters."
"Unbelievable!"
"The Body to Body section was.awesome and comforting."
"Absolutely wonderful!"
"Enjoyed it very much. Why do we bother dressing?"
"Incredible photography"
"Super fantastic!"
"Beautiful and thought provoking"
"Inspiring -love the accompanying poetry."
"Takes me back to a time when..."
"Great art"
"The nude body can be a beautiful thing. Very tastefully done- the compostion very imaginative."
Friday 11 November 2011
Sunday 16 October 2011
Relationship: Spirit to Body,Body to Body,Body to Space
The following is from the introduction to the above titled exhibit of photographs, shown at the Deep River Ontario Library from October 11th to October 26th, 2011
Spirit to Spirit? But even the greatest mystics have had to use the language of our bodily senses to describe their experiences.
On this plane of existence at least, our awareness of each other, our environment and the experiences we name Spiritual, all come through our bodies. In North America we are heavily oppressed by the dualist style of philosophy and religion that sees the material, especially the flesh, as a weight and a trap that keeps our spirit from ascending to the Infinite.
The early Greek Dualism that influenced the Romans and thereby western Christianity was never overcome by the Druidic-Celtic Christian beliefs that we are one with all of God's Creation- past, present and future. Pelagius, the Celtic British monk, lost out theologically to Augustine, the former Manichean. Manicheanism was one of many Eastern religions and philosophies that also believed the Material was inferior, if not Evil, and not to be given import.
Nearly 2000 years later we see the effects of this direction- environmental destruction, control of individuals through shame, dehumanizing personal relations, etc.,etc. More and more voices are speaking out against this insanity. A few that have influenced me in this exhibit...
Wendell Berry- American poet and farmer, who decries those who "despise the body, yet yearn for its Resurrection".
Gloria Steinem, feminist who told women "we must take back the images of our bodies from the pornographers".
The images in this exhibit have been done over a period of 50 years. Some of the beautiful sites are gone, replaced by ticky tacky "development". Cities literally choke the life out of their inhabitants, yet around my off-grid 300 acre farm there are thousands of square kilometers of unused land. Our thinking must change, our relationships must change. This exhibit is a step toward that change.
Spirit to Spirit? But even the greatest mystics have had to use the language of our bodily senses to describe their experiences.
On this plane of existence at least, our awareness of each other, our environment and the experiences we name Spiritual, all come through our bodies. In North America we are heavily oppressed by the dualist style of philosophy and religion that sees the material, especially the flesh, as a weight and a trap that keeps our spirit from ascending to the Infinite.
The early Greek Dualism that influenced the Romans and thereby western Christianity was never overcome by the Druidic-Celtic Christian beliefs that we are one with all of God's Creation- past, present and future. Pelagius, the Celtic British monk, lost out theologically to Augustine, the former Manichean. Manicheanism was one of many Eastern religions and philosophies that also believed the Material was inferior, if not Evil, and not to be given import.
Nearly 2000 years later we see the effects of this direction- environmental destruction, control of individuals through shame, dehumanizing personal relations, etc.,etc. More and more voices are speaking out against this insanity. A few that have influenced me in this exhibit...
Wendell Berry- American poet and farmer, who decries those who "despise the body, yet yearn for its Resurrection".
Gloria Steinem, feminist who told women "we must take back the images of our bodies from the pornographers".
The images in this exhibit have been done over a period of 50 years. Some of the beautiful sites are gone, replaced by ticky tacky "development". Cities literally choke the life out of their inhabitants, yet around my off-grid 300 acre farm there are thousands of square kilometers of unused land. Our thinking must change, our relationships must change. This exhibit is a step toward that change.
Saturday 20 August 2011
Introduction to "Body, Sex, Spirit: Marvels Of The Temple"
(An Exhibit in January and February of 2007 at Good For Her gallery, Toronto, Ontario)
1 Corinthians 6:19- "Your body, you know, is the temple of the Holy Spirit". Thus spoke Paul, inflamed by the idea that the God of the Jews, Creator of the Universe, had taken on that human bodily form, died in it and, amazingly, resurrected in it.
But Paul, a Hellenic Jew, was also influenced by Greek Dualist philosophy: air-spirit-male is light and good, matter-flesh-female weighs down spirit and is not so good. Later influences from the east on the Christianity he founded- Manichean, Gnostic- deepened these divisions.
The northern Celts had little of this dualism in their pagan religion; the females fought alongside the men and they carried much of their "male-female-animal-human-matter-spirit-past-present-future are one beliefs into their new found Christianity so that today you can find in Ireland small stone churches from 500 to 600 AD with the entrance in the shape of a vagina so the faithful could enter Mother Earth to pray to Father God.
Bernard McCaffrey was turned on to this view of Christianity in his twenties by the art and writings of the Welsh-English Catholic artist-activist Eric Gill. It led him into many pathways- an awe of the natural environment and its inhabitants- his lifestyle of the last 35 years of living lightly within that environment and in empathy with the poorest of its inhabitants, without hydro, running water or phone and raising as much of his own food as possible- modelling for life classes and inspiring art creation- being a naturist and spending as much time as possible in the Edenic state with others clothed in the same God created garment- the practice of Tantric yoga with his wife where in one session they glimpsed that real Holy Spirit between them.
And here, the pathway of images of the nude human body, male and female, no longer pornography, but sacred symbols of marvel, mystery and joy, exhibited as part of the photographer's continuing struggle to transmit this view to others.
1 Corinthians 6:19- "Your body, you know, is the temple of the Holy Spirit". Thus spoke Paul, inflamed by the idea that the God of the Jews, Creator of the Universe, had taken on that human bodily form, died in it and, amazingly, resurrected in it.
But Paul, a Hellenic Jew, was also influenced by Greek Dualist philosophy: air-spirit-male is light and good, matter-flesh-female weighs down spirit and is not so good. Later influences from the east on the Christianity he founded- Manichean, Gnostic- deepened these divisions.
The northern Celts had little of this dualism in their pagan religion; the females fought alongside the men and they carried much of their "male-female-animal-human-matter-spirit-past-present-future are one beliefs into their new found Christianity so that today you can find in Ireland small stone churches from 500 to 600 AD with the entrance in the shape of a vagina so the faithful could enter Mother Earth to pray to Father God.
Bernard McCaffrey was turned on to this view of Christianity in his twenties by the art and writings of the Welsh-English Catholic artist-activist Eric Gill. It led him into many pathways- an awe of the natural environment and its inhabitants- his lifestyle of the last 35 years of living lightly within that environment and in empathy with the poorest of its inhabitants, without hydro, running water or phone and raising as much of his own food as possible- modelling for life classes and inspiring art creation- being a naturist and spending as much time as possible in the Edenic state with others clothed in the same God created garment- the practice of Tantric yoga with his wife where in one session they glimpsed that real Holy Spirit between them.
And here, the pathway of images of the nude human body, male and female, no longer pornography, but sacred symbols of marvel, mystery and joy, exhibited as part of the photographer's continuing struggle to transmit this view to others.
Monday 6 June 2011
Artist's Statement for "Back Is Beautiful" Exhibit
This Exhibit was shown in four venues in the Ottawa Valley in 2008 and was sponsored by Dr. of Chiropractic Kathleen Doran
On the side of Humanity that is
The Back Side, we can state that
BIOLOGICALLY separating us from
most of God's creatures, it gives us
a view of our Environment that may lead
PHILOSOPHICALLY to an upright
(and perhaps uptight) perspective
of morals and religion axial to
the self-centered mode and
ARTISTICALLY, with the exception of
the 3D sculptor, to often being hidden,
or, one might say, Back Handed or
Back Logged into Back Ground,
behind the more popular front, but
MEDICALLY a bit Back Ward in the
pain price paid for being
upright citizens
where only one branch had
the spinal fortitude to take
the forward position of
hand treating and healing
that connective anatomy
between hips and head,
and so, time and space taken
to reflect on, empathize with and
celebrate in black and white and
shades of grey
that less observed portion
of our Human Condition
On the side of Humanity that is
The Back Side, we can state that
BIOLOGICALLY separating us from
most of God's creatures, it gives us
a view of our Environment that may lead
PHILOSOPHICALLY to an upright
(and perhaps uptight) perspective
of morals and religion axial to
the self-centered mode and
ARTISTICALLY, with the exception of
the 3D sculptor, to often being hidden,
or, one might say, Back Handed or
Back Logged into Back Ground,
behind the more popular front, but
MEDICALLY a bit Back Ward in the
pain price paid for being
upright citizens
where only one branch had
the spinal fortitude to take
the forward position of
hand treating and healing
that connective anatomy
between hips and head,
and so, time and space taken
to reflect on, empathize with and
celebrate in black and white and
shades of grey
that less observed portion
of our Human Condition
Monday 9 May 2011
from the introduction to "Soulbody Phoenix" an exhibit of photos by Bernard McCaffrey-April, 2006
Soulbody- In Celtic Christianity the soul lovingly encloses the material body. An apparent opposition to the Mediterannean Christian-Gnostic-Manichean-Dualist influenced idea of the soul enclosed by the unspiritual flesh. awaiting its chance to escape to the possible joys of the hereafter
Phoenix- Egyptian Mythology- A long lived birdlike creature that, being consumed in fire, arises from the ashes, renewed and purified.
This is Bernard McCaffrey's first major solo exhibit since a house fire vaporized 85% of his 25 years of prints and negative in Dec. 2003. Thanks to the tremendous support and donations of time, money and materials from the Ottawa Valley community, within a year he and his wife were able to move into a newly built, warm dry, solar powered bio-mass heated space. Ten months later, with the interior still only 1/3 finished, he had a darkroom up and running on mostly donated equipment. From galleries and websites, collectors and friends, he has slowly built up his body of previous work and added to it with new visions.
Early on his art training introduced him to the beauty of the human form in its natural state. Later the writings and visual work of Eric Gill, the English-Welsh Catholic artist, gave him a start on a theology of the body and more recently the beautiful insights of Celtic Christianity have deepened his understanding.
To work visually, especially with a camera, on the subject of the unclothed figure in a mechanistic, puritanical, life destroying society (and the huge amounts of pornography such a society must produce) that comprises much of North America is a small revolutionary act. To relate the work to the Christian
message that Creator-God sacrilized the human bodyu by inhabiting it, is to participate in a greater 2000 year old revolution that is still not wholly understood. These studies of the body- in nature, in myth, in mediation, in studio- are the artist-photographer's attempt to further that understanding.
Phoenix- Egyptian Mythology- A long lived birdlike creature that, being consumed in fire, arises from the ashes, renewed and purified.
This is Bernard McCaffrey's first major solo exhibit since a house fire vaporized 85% of his 25 years of prints and negative in Dec. 2003. Thanks to the tremendous support and donations of time, money and materials from the Ottawa Valley community, within a year he and his wife were able to move into a newly built, warm dry, solar powered bio-mass heated space. Ten months later, with the interior still only 1/3 finished, he had a darkroom up and running on mostly donated equipment. From galleries and websites, collectors and friends, he has slowly built up his body of previous work and added to it with new visions.
Early on his art training introduced him to the beauty of the human form in its natural state. Later the writings and visual work of Eric Gill, the English-Welsh Catholic artist, gave him a start on a theology of the body and more recently the beautiful insights of Celtic Christianity have deepened his understanding.
To work visually, especially with a camera, on the subject of the unclothed figure in a mechanistic, puritanical, life destroying society (and the huge amounts of pornography such a society must produce) that comprises much of North America is a small revolutionary act. To relate the work to the Christian
message that Creator-God sacrilized the human bodyu by inhabiting it, is to participate in a greater 2000 year old revolution that is still not wholly understood. These studies of the body- in nature, in myth, in mediation, in studio- are the artist-photographer's attempt to further that understanding.
Wednesday 4 May 2011
Thoughts On Body and Archetype
As many cultures and religions (Egyptian, Celtic, Greco-Roman, Christian, Hindu, etc.) have used the human body- both clothed and unclothed- as symbol, archetype of human values, characteristics, of natural forces and beings, of gods and goddesses, I thought I would put down a few thoughts of others- besides Wittengenstein- on the Body.
Robert Henri- American artist and art educator- "There is nothing in all the world more beautiful or significant of the laws of the universe than the nude human body. In fact, it is not only among the artists, but among all people, that a greater appreciation and respect for the human body should develop."
Wendell Berry- American poet and farmer- "Nothing could be more absurd than to despise the body and yet yearn for its resurrection."
Dave Ellard- scientist-.."It was in this way was made all the iron in our blood, all the phosphorous and calcium that strenghtens our bones, all the sodium and potassium that drives signals along our nerves. Atoms so formed are thrown off into space by aged stars in their death throes. Natural forces recycle them into new stars, into planets, plants and people. We are all made of stardust."
Robert Henri- American artist and art educator- "There is nothing in all the world more beautiful or significant of the laws of the universe than the nude human body. In fact, it is not only among the artists, but among all people, that a greater appreciation and respect for the human body should develop."
Wendell Berry- American poet and farmer- "Nothing could be more absurd than to despise the body and yet yearn for its resurrection."
Dave Ellard- scientist-.."It was in this way was made all the iron in our blood, all the phosphorous and calcium that strenghtens our bones, all the sodium and potassium that drives signals along our nerves. Atoms so formed are thrown off into space by aged stars in their death throes. Natural forces recycle them into new stars, into planets, plants and people. We are all made of stardust."
Wednesday 20 April 2011
Saturday 16 April 2011
from "Complex,Archetype,Symbol" by J. Jacobi, Jungian scholar
In the form of latent possiblities, as well as biological and historic factors, archetypal contents are a part of the psychic structure of the individual. The archetype corresponding to the individual's outward or inward life is actualized and in taking form appears before the camera of the conscious mind (and) is represented.
Monday 28 March 2011
Part II of the introduction to Friends, Figures and Infinites- a photographic exhibit shown in New York
City in 1963 and Newport R.I. in 1965
As a Catholic I can appreciate and accept much of the good brought in by the fresh winds of existentialism, but only when it takes its place in a hierarchy of eternal values. Otherwise the joie de vivre of Kerouac's characters in a more or less real world withdraw into the narcotic fantasies of a Burroughs.
To the new film makers, Jack Smith, Bergman, the young Poles, et al, must go most of the recent credit for turning the lens into a poet's eye. To them, also must go credit for first setting up or finding poetic situations and filming them. (The poetic situation occurs when the participants, be they actors, models or plainfolk, are consciously or unconsciously LIVING a beautiful event. This occurs to a lesser degree in "happenings".)
If you want to make beautiful and exciting creations, and you believe your art should be woven closely with your life- and every person is or can be some sort of artist- then you must continusously strive to beautify and vivify your life. My photography becomes then for me an impulse constantly triggering my life toward the beautiful, new, meaningful and fasciinating.
To show this I have divided the exhibit into three uneven parts. The first is "The Outside"- the 'objective' world of sad strangers that I often see about me, particularly in New York City. the second is "The Inside"- my world- God's own countryside, transformed by my friends and my camera into a universe playground where body and soul retreat toward Eden and approach oneness. Many of the photographs in this section are candid, and in many others, the shooting situation became in itself a meaningful and memorable event. The third part is "the Outside from the Inside", where people and things available to the gaze of most eyes become for me- without losing their own existential meaning- symbols of the wonder, majesty and mystery of God and his Creation.
City in 1963 and Newport R.I. in 1965
As a Catholic I can appreciate and accept much of the good brought in by the fresh winds of existentialism, but only when it takes its place in a hierarchy of eternal values. Otherwise the joie de vivre of Kerouac's characters in a more or less real world withdraw into the narcotic fantasies of a Burroughs.
To the new film makers, Jack Smith, Bergman, the young Poles, et al, must go most of the recent credit for turning the lens into a poet's eye. To them, also must go credit for first setting up or finding poetic situations and filming them. (The poetic situation occurs when the participants, be they actors, models or plainfolk, are consciously or unconsciously LIVING a beautiful event. This occurs to a lesser degree in "happenings".)
If you want to make beautiful and exciting creations, and you believe your art should be woven closely with your life- and every person is or can be some sort of artist- then you must continusously strive to beautify and vivify your life. My photography becomes then for me an impulse constantly triggering my life toward the beautiful, new, meaningful and fasciinating.
To show this I have divided the exhibit into three uneven parts. The first is "The Outside"- the 'objective' world of sad strangers that I often see about me, particularly in New York City. the second is "The Inside"- my world- God's own countryside, transformed by my friends and my camera into a universe playground where body and soul retreat toward Eden and approach oneness. Many of the photographs in this section are candid, and in many others, the shooting situation became in itself a meaningful and memorable event. The third part is "the Outside from the Inside", where people and things available to the gaze of most eyes become for me- without losing their own existential meaning- symbols of the wonder, majesty and mystery of God and his Creation.
Thursday 24 March 2011
Introduction to "Friends, Figures and Infinites"- Part I
An introduction to my first solo photographic exhibit entitled "Friends, Figures and Infinites" held in Novermber of 1963 at Gallery 110 in New York City
My photographs are an extension of myself, a part of my life. This life is based on a universal, eternal philosophy, the symbols of which I often find reflected in the minute by minute existence of myself and those around me.
It has been said that as sculpture was the chief expression of the Greco-Roman civilization and painting of the Renaissance, so photography is the medium of our time. The many faceted philosophy of existentialism dominates, much of it sprung from a disillusion with our age of calculation. Nevertheless, the moods of our time still reflect strongly scientific accuracy, documentation, objectivity. Photography is an ideal medium to record these moods and most of the great work has been and is being done in the field of photojournalism and documention.
Many of the earliest photographs dealt with ideas and ideals, but stated with more Victorian prose than poetry, they speak to us only negatively today. Reacting against the moral dualism of that time, we threw out the baby with the bath and a directionless society today often finds itself equating photos of puppies with mangled bodies, astronauts with murderers, strangers on street corners with glamorous nudes, psychologically peeling paint with scenes of stark tragedy.
(to be continued)
My photographs are an extension of myself, a part of my life. This life is based on a universal, eternal philosophy, the symbols of which I often find reflected in the minute by minute existence of myself and those around me.
It has been said that as sculpture was the chief expression of the Greco-Roman civilization and painting of the Renaissance, so photography is the medium of our time. The many faceted philosophy of existentialism dominates, much of it sprung from a disillusion with our age of calculation. Nevertheless, the moods of our time still reflect strongly scientific accuracy, documentation, objectivity. Photography is an ideal medium to record these moods and most of the great work has been and is being done in the field of photojournalism and documention.
Many of the earliest photographs dealt with ideas and ideals, but stated with more Victorian prose than poetry, they speak to us only negatively today. Reacting against the moral dualism of that time, we threw out the baby with the bath and a directionless society today often finds itself equating photos of puppies with mangled bodies, astronauts with murderers, strangers on street corners with glamorous nudes, psychologically peeling paint with scenes of stark tragedy.
(to be continued)
Wednesday 23 March 2011
I will be filling in here, now and then, my philosophy of creation through photography and art, my new projects that I'm working on and of course, the link to my website www.artistsincanada.com/mccaffrey
where for 2 and a half years I've been #1 in lifetime hits out of 6000 Canadian artists.
Not being terribly computer literate (in fact the owner of an internet capable computer for only the last 6 months), it may take a while to set things up and get the hang of posting images, writing about them, etc.
Have patience and we may eventually have something worthwhile here.
Bernard McCaffrey- Wilno, Ontario, Canada
where for 2 and a half years I've been #1 in lifetime hits out of 6000 Canadian artists.
Not being terribly computer literate (in fact the owner of an internet capable computer for only the last 6 months), it may take a while to set things up and get the hang of posting images, writing about them, etc.
Have patience and we may eventually have something worthwhile here.
Bernard McCaffrey- Wilno, Ontario, Canada
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)