"In personal life, regardless of any covenant, one party may initiate a fundamental change in the terms of relating without renegotiating them and further, refusing even to acknowledge the change... There is no democracy in any love relation: only mercy."
-Gillian Rose, quote from her book, Love's Work.
That is: love is not reliant on judgment, but on a decision to set judgment aside. Love is anarchy. Love is chaos. We don't love the deserving: we love flawed and imperfect human beings, in an emotional logic that belongs to an entirely different weather system than the chilly climate of reason.
p. 257, Monsters, A Fan's Dilemma by Claire Duderer.
This quote has resonated with me during the past months. It has provided insight into private matters as well as more public concerns. Mercy must be intentional - we enter into its nonjudgmental fabric with intent, some of us, with determination. It is an interesting cloak to nestle under when we are thinking about the visual language. Two steps removed from harmony, mercy is a key element of understanding someone else's language. Once an effort toward understanding is established, harmony can be built.
It's an open question whether that is within the grasp of this human race.
A black pearl was once regarded as rare and valuable. Found mostly in Tahiti, these pearls were considered to be polished by time, a drop of light holding heavenly radiance and possessing a harmonious shine. Black pearls were considered symbols of hope for a weeping heart. Chinese legends suggest the black pearl is formed in the brain of a dragon and signifies cunning or mystical wisdom. This black pearl holds all of these ideas, as well as mysteries of her own. I like to think she has a core of mercy within her, that shines out.
Below, Black Pearl, 36" diameter, oil paint, mica on silver ground on yupo mounted on panel.
