One of the reasons I love what I do is because I get to witness beautiful people acting in beautiful ways - it never fails. Because my job is so transient in nature, I rarely have the opportunity to spend the time needed to document and understand a whole project, the impact on everyone involved, the depth of what was intended. That’s why I’m so grateful that for once I was not only given the time to do it right, but also have had nothing but open doors. As a photojournalist, this is what dream assignments are made of. As a human being, a chance to grow.
We had the final workshop a couple of weeks ago, and I have been sitting on this blog post for a while, writing it over and over, but it never felt right - one thing that was missing was the artist behind it all. And there is a reason for it.
If you were to describe an artist, the words humble, patient, unassuming would probably not be the first ones who come to mind. But that’s who Frank is, and he brought his immense talent into the workshop and into the clinic in the same way he carries himself in his personal life. He likes his work to be the center of all attention, and when you see the final results below, you see the vibrant colors as expressions of Life, beautiful and full. He’s the kind of artist who is accustomed to working alone and prefers to let his art come through to the viewer without explanation, you receive the message you are meant to welcome in your life at that precise moment. He often doesn’t even sign his work and his art becomes a part of you without you even knowing it.
I had to make myself invisible to take photos of his process, but caught glimpses of his genuine interest in people’s lives, in the way they interpreted his instructions and went wherever the mind allowed, knowing they were in a non judgemental space, accepting of any form of expression. There is no right or wrong, there is only art, there is a smile if you need it, and a willingness to connect through it all.
I don’t know what people think unless they tell me, but I know that this project has changed lives, and I feel it’s not over yet. I wanted to write about what I learned, but I think you can see it in my photos. Instead, I will leave you with what Frank wrote, because it encompasses so many of my feelings and observations, and his words explain it better than I ever could.
“On my last day at the clinic, as things would have it, I ended up putting the finishing touches on the very first mural I installed (the entryway silhouettes).
Today sort of felt like my first day had felt on site: kind words from kind people and smiles all around. There was something vastly different about today though – I had this feeling of sadness about the thought of having to leave such an amazing and accepting place. Earlier this day, I completed what I consider the ‘capstone’ of the murals. This would be the Locket Mural. As we all know, a locket can be used to hold anything that is treasured or sentimental, i.e. … an inscription of a special time, a special phrase, or, most commonly, a picture of the ones we love. This was all inspiration for creating the hands holding a locket with a real mirror in it. I wanted to create more than a mural… I wanted to create an experience – an interactive piece. The key was to get all of the participants in the Locket Workshops to really dig deep and think about the things they wanted to put in their individual lockets. What do they hold dear to their hearts, minds, or souls? What message do they want to convey? Needless to say, I was so astonished by the depth and the breadth of messages – Every locket created ended up being so unique, powerful, and thought provoking. And that is really the most important ingredient in this collaboration. Every locket serves as a reminder to the viewer: ‘These things are special’… and when looking into the central locket that displays the viewer’s reflection: ‘I am special’. Well, I hope this is the train of thought that occurs… I hope.
… Now I’m reflecting : This project has been air to me, it has been water to me, and it has been nourishment for me. I held out my hand to give, yet, I ended up receiving, tenfold. My cup was empty for quite some time and I have kept myself so busy that I never realized it.
On my last day at the clinic, as things would have it, I ended up not only putting the finishing touches on the murals – I ended up walking away with a cup full of everything that is good in this world.”
I speak in photographs, and so I leave you with what I saw on the last days, and hope you feel it all and it fills your cup.
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