About 1,000 Flowers/ Cornerstone
Artist Lynda Hess is creating a walk in installation of 1,000 red rimmed, white ceramic flowers in the spirit of 1,000 cranes of Japanese tradition, to raise awareness, memorialize, honor and promote healing for female victims of violence. In partnership with the Domestic Violence Action Center, each bisque fired white flower has been painted, through Flower Power workshops centered on women sharing their own stories of violence and abuse. The accumulation of these flowers as representatives of personal testimonials manifests the power we have in gathering and witnessing each other’s stories.
Occupying a corner of a large gallery of artists’ presentations on various contemporary political and social issues, 1,000 Flowers/Cornerstone sits quietly, almost hidden, representing how foundational the suffering of women is to the current social and political system. Although elegiac, the cumulative power of giving attention and voice to those affected promotes healing an empowerment. We cannot heal what is not brought to the surface and recognized. Individual stories shared within and as a group allow voices to be heard, experiences to be witnessed and puzzle pieces to be put together to draw a clearer picture of a whole. This awareness physicalizes the intention to create a better society and world, one that does not rely on suppressing or disempowering the poor or weak, a world that is not predicated on the suffering of others.