Beauty in Frailty – A Visual Journey
I have always held affection for the word frail. I associate it with its synonyms fragile and delicate - words often used to describe some of the most valuable, the most precious, the most astoundingly beautiful and poignant natural phenomena and human creations. So – imagine my surprise when I was advised recently that frail has become a “bad” word amongst the gerontological community and should be replaced.
Words/phases such as physically weak, delicate, not strong or substantial, slight, easily broken or destroyed, and fragile are among dictionary definitions of frailty. Granted these are not characteristics that we would intentionally promote in ourselves or others. It is reasonable to want to try to stay as healthy as possible until the time of death. However, for many, at one point or other, frailty simply “will be”. Neitzsche painted it with words: “physical frailty is simply one of the colours that existence will have” and he adds: “and an especially strong color at that, neither black nor white, and certainly not gray”.
Furthermore, frailty is not just a physical or end of life issue. Talk to someone who has lost a loved one and they will tell you about brokenness - emotional frailty. Talk to someone who has been struck by the hammer of mental illness and they will tell you about psychological frailty. Talk to someone who is walking the halls of dementia, and they will tell you stories exposing the frailty of memory and cognition. Philosopher E. Wyschogrod states “To be embodied existence, as flesh, is to be fragile”. The point is, we are, all of us, frail.
I am aware that I see more beauty in “imperfection” than many people do. Vulnerability speaks to my soul. Quavering tones in music mark many of my favorite pieces. Veiled and implied lines and figures in visual art are magic to me. In nature, I love gnarled trees, frail grasses and leaves turned to lace. I stand in awe of the weather beaten and am mesmerized by the maturation to perfection of autumn-time. I even find the intricacies of death and decay fascinating…and, yes, I find the frail form and the sculpted face of the elderly person not only intriguing, but physically beautiful. This sense of dissonance was the impetus for Beauty in Frailty – A Visual Journey.
The purpose of Beauty in Frailty is to promote positive mental associations with the word frail, and the concept of frailty, by evoking appreciation for its beauty. By doing so it will hopefully alter, in at least some small way, our perception of frailty and the frail person, reducing fear and increasing respect for this life phenomenon.
I chose photography as my vehicle because pictures “pack a punch” – like the well worn saying “a picture is worth a thousand words”. Pictures tap into our innate ability to think metaphorically. When metaphors declare that one thing “is” another, they provide a symbolic vocabulary which allows us to express thoughts and complex ideas that might otherwise elude us. This symbolic language is very powerful in enabling understanding, communication and change, intra-personally, interpersonally and globally.
Beauty in Frailty will lead viewers on a visual journey beginning with images that most people would concur are beautiful, albeit frail… delicate flowers, butterfly wings and so on. Gradually the photos will introduce more of the intricacies and vicissitudes of frailty, closing with the introduction of the frail human visage.
Although I see immense beauty in frailty and the aged, I share society’s fears of loss and mortality. However, in Beauty in Frailty I am immersing myself in frailty with a focus on beauty rather than on despair. The concept of beauty is a very powerful one. Our culture has limited our concept of beauty. Beauty is the quality in something that gives intense or deep pleasure or satisfaction to the mind. So – if you look at something and it captivates you and gives you deep pleasure, then it IS beautiful. Beauty is like visual positive thinking, and like thinking positively, focusing on beauty can change lives. Perhaps this is what Dostoyevsky meant when he proclaimed “beauty will save the world”.
I have always held affection for the word frail. I associate it with its synonyms fragile and delicate - words often used to describe some of the most valuable, the most precious, the most astoundingly beautiful and poignant natural phenomena and human creations. So – imagine my surprise when I was advised recently that frail has become a “bad” word amongst the gerontological community and should be replaced.
Words/phases such as physically weak, delicate, not strong or substantial, slight, easily broken or destroyed, and fragile are among dictionary definitions of frailty. Granted these are not characteristics that we would intentionally promote in ourselves or others. It is reasonable to want to try to stay as healthy as possible until the time of death. However, for many, at one point or other, frailty simply “will be”. Neitzsche painted it with words: “physical frailty is simply one of the colours that existence will have” and he adds: “and an especially strong color at that, neither black nor white, and certainly not gray”.
Furthermore, frailty is not just a physical or end of life issue. Talk to someone who has lost a loved one and they will tell you about brokenness - emotional frailty. Talk to someone who has been struck by the hammer of mental illness and they will tell you about psychological frailty. Talk to someone who is walking the halls of dementia, and they will tell you stories exposing the frailty of memory and cognition. Philosopher E. Wyschogrod states “To be embodied existence, as flesh, is to be fragile”. The point is, we are, all of us, frail.
I am aware that I see more beauty in “imperfection” than many people do. Vulnerability speaks to my soul. Quavering tones in music mark many of my favorite pieces. Veiled and implied lines and figures in visual art are magic to me. In nature, I love gnarled trees, frail grasses and leaves turned to lace. I stand in awe of the weather beaten and am mesmerized by the maturation to perfection of autumn-time. I even find the intricacies of death and decay fascinating…and, yes, I find the frail form and the sculpted face of the elderly person not only intriguing, but physically beautiful. This sense of dissonance was the impetus for Beauty in Frailty – A Visual Journey.
The purpose of Beauty in Frailty is to promote positive mental associations with the word frail, and the concept of frailty, by evoking appreciation for its beauty. By doing so it will hopefully alter, in at least some small way, our perception of frailty and the frail person, reducing fear and increasing respect for this life phenomenon.
I chose photography as my vehicle because pictures “pack a punch” – like the well worn saying “a picture is worth a thousand words”. Pictures tap into our innate ability to think metaphorically. When metaphors declare that one thing “is” another, they provide a symbolic vocabulary which allows us to express thoughts and complex ideas that might otherwise elude us. This symbolic language is very powerful in enabling understanding, communication and change, intra-personally, interpersonally and globally.
Beauty in Frailty will lead viewers on a visual journey beginning with images that most people would concur are beautiful, albeit frail… delicate flowers, butterfly wings and so on. Gradually the photos will introduce more of the intricacies and vicissitudes of frailty, closing with the introduction of the frail human visage.
Although I see immense beauty in frailty and the aged, I share society’s fears of loss and mortality. However, in Beauty in Frailty I am immersing myself in frailty with a focus on beauty rather than on despair. The concept of beauty is a very powerful one. Our culture has limited our concept of beauty. Beauty is the quality in something that gives intense or deep pleasure or satisfaction to the mind. So – if you look at something and it captivates you and gives you deep pleasure, then it IS beautiful. Beauty is like visual positive thinking, and like thinking positively, focusing on beauty can change lives. Perhaps this is what Dostoyevsky meant when he proclaimed “beauty will save the world”.
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