Fern Shaffer and Othello Anderson have been developing a 9 year ritual
since 1995 dedicated to calling attention to the importance of protecting
the environment. Enacted in various settings to highlight the importance
of water, soil, the forests and different geographies, the artists capture
the spirit of these events through stunning and mysterious photographs
which reveal a primal connection to the earth.
The earth is our home, it nourishes us physically, sustains us aesthetically
and spiritually. We are part of the earth and the earth is part of
us. Self-preservation is the first law of nature. As we love and protect
ourselves so shall we love and protect the earth. Our rituals are created
to focus attention on the importance of protecting the earth and it’s
environment.
Our performances are a collaborative effort. The motivation for the
rituals that we perform are to bring spirit back into the community
and the world at large. Rituals are an action that speaks to the heart
and soul but does not necessarily make sense in a literal way. We realize
the interconnectedness of everything. Our rituals consists of energy
and thought about the equal balance and harmony between nature, science
and spirit. We view the earth as a living entity, which responds to
our efforts, and we respond to hers. We document the ancient practice
of ritual using technological methods as a way to record our contribution.
The photographs become a record, the memory of the ritual.
9 YEAR RITUAL
The number 9 is a symbol for this ‘Cycle of Rituals’, a
complete cycle of growth in the grand cycle of time. Something is finishing,
to make way for a new set of events, i.e. a transition from one millennium
to the next.
The first ritual took place on January 9, 1995 in a wooden site in Lockport,
Illinois, to transmit through the trees our concern for the living conditions
of plant life.
The second ritual took place on February 9, 1996 at the edge of the
Pacific Ocean, Big Sur, California. The purpose was to reflect our concern
for water. The sea is the source of life.
The third ritual took place on March 9, 1997 in a cornfield, outside
of Mineral Point, Wisconsin. The focus was on our concern for the gift
of nourishment that the earth gives us as food.
The fourth ritual took place on April 9, 1998 on the summit of Blue
Ridge Mountain, in Virginia. The focus was to reflect our concern for
the preservation of the minerals of the earth.
The fifth ritual took place on May 9, 1999 at the lowest elevation of
the Northern Hemisphere in Death Valley, California. The focus was to
reflect our concern for the premature death of our planet due to global
warming.
The sixth ritual took place on June 9, 2000 On Temagami Island, Ontario,
Canada. The focus was our concern for the preservation of the disappearing
old growth forests.
The seventh ritual took place on July 9, 2001 at the Headwaters of the
Mississippi River. The focus was our concern for the rivers and waterways.
How essential they are for transportation, food, energy and clean water
sources.
The eighth ritual took place on August 9, 2002 at Greenpoint, Newfoundland.
The focus was the plight within the oceans.
The ninth ritual took place on September 9, 2003 at Cashe River Basin,
Illinois. The focus was on the preservation of wetlands, an endangered
habitat and ecological system.
‘The experience begins with a feeling, a sense of something
that wants to materialize itself….If I am able to rediscover
my own first experience of the basic spiritual existence with nature,
it might help others rediscover and honor the same things in themselves.
It does not matter that I possess no expert training or special knowledge,
only the ability to open up and channel the intuition of my own self….What
the world lacks today is not so much knowledge of [things of the spirit]
as experience of them. Experiencing the spirit is all.’
Fern Shaffer quoted in Gablik, Suzi (1991). The Reenchantment
of Art. London: Thames and Hudson pp44- 45.
Contact
w : http://greenmuseum.org/shaffer
e : Fjshaffer at aol.com
Photo Credits
Photographs provided by and copyright of Fern Shaffer and Othello Anderson