Video: The Bones in Golden Robes, 2013. 1 min. This work was compelled by a spiritual encounter I had during a meditation.
The work includes 6 spirits. Each takes a ceremonial turn on the spiral platform. These ghosts wear robes of a yellow spiral that is painted on sheer fabric. Inside the robe the ghosts carry their bones, a skeleton of plastic tubing, arms that carry objects which clank together sounding like bones, and an aluminum pie tray with buckshot making the noise of shuffling feet.Their movements adjust, as they try to find their way up and down the platform.
As one ghost walks the platform, the others wait in silence, literally recharging. Then, each takes its turn on parade.
A visitation appeared to me about 6 months after my husband Paul’s passing. I was not trying to achieve any visionary experience. The meditative state had simply allowed openness.
A spirit appeared in front of me in the form of a bright yellow ghost-like form. The Being hovered off the floor, then settled smoothly in front of my seated self, and all of us. The spirit stayed, emitting intensely vibrating light for maybe 30 seconds, then slowly receded into nothingness. The immense love and light of this being has stayed with me.
The Bones in Golden Robes has been on my mind recently, perhaps because of the changing season and because there is so much grief spreading out into the world. Embrace grief with the same openness as you would embrace joy. We share across the universe.
Posted: September 12, 2022
Video: The Bones in Golden Robes, 2013, was part of The Basement Panoramas at Open Space Gallery, Victoria, BC, Canada. The exhibition was curated by Helen Marzolf. (See website under “The Basement Panoramas” for more views of the exhibition.) The Bones in Golden Robes was reiterated for the exhibition All to All in 2015, at the Susan Hobbs Gallery. In the All to All exhibition the ghosts swirled and were accompanied by Gong. (View on the website under “All to All.”)