Lost Frintsheps & Gudrun Hasle
I had an amazing day in the city the other day. It all started with an impromptu lunch with my friend I, who suddenly realized, "Hey, I think that Gudrun Hasle show is about to close & it's right around the corner. Wanna' go check it out?"
The timing couldn't be better. First of all, this same friend had recently hipped me to her, knowing how much I love art and especially anything that incorporates stitching. But with Gudrun, there's something even more compelling here.
When I first saw her work I zeroed in on her spelling.
See, Gudrun is dyslexic. And she's found a way to incorporate this in her work in a way that empowers.
About 7 or so years ago, I had the privilege of individually assisting a young 3rd grader- let's call him Dexter. Dexter was this perfectly adorable 3rd grader, with round freckled cheeks and an amazing (I would almost say superior) disposition. There was no doubt about it: Dexter was advanced in so many ways but his talents were not being recognized. Why? Because according to the popular methods of education, something was "wrong" with him because he couldn't decode the letters that so many of us attribute so much importance to- without recognizing, acknowledging and giving space to the many other ways of communication.
It was painful to see what Dexter had to go through. This despite the support of a very loving and dedicated family, staff and professionals. There's no way around explaining to a child that he is "different" from the others and so be occassionally cordoned off. Of course the teacher and parents supported my doing things "outside the box" and we managed to form a small group of kids within the class who benefited from being in a smaller group. In the end it was Dexter, Louis - a new arrival from France whose English language skills were advancing at record pace, Shakeeb, a young son to a Pakistani military official and Lora, a Danish girl whose whole academic life had been spent in a school where her class shifted every year.
The first time I saw Dexter spell, I remember thinking - now this is creative! Luckily, Dexter has survived the school system. This is definitely due to the incredible support system that he had access to, which always reminded me of the many children who are being diagnosed everyday with conditions that are not fully understood and where perhaps well-meaning parents get led astray.
Walking around the gallery with my friend and observing Gudrun Hasle's work reminds me of the importance of standing up for who you are, despite what others (or even yourself ) might perceive as flaws. We are living in an ever-increasing exclusive world, where access is becoming smaller and smaller and the availability of opportunities can even be said to have shrunk to same size as an eye in a needle -- I must say that the culture of inclusion does not to seem to be something that we are cultivating within our societies. Sure, it's given a lot of lip-service, but if inclusion was truly the goal- why the disparities?
Gudrun Hasle explores many themes that I find intriguing. She explores that of being a woman, of being a "good" mother, mental and emotional health & relationships. She explores the intimate details of life and makes loud stories out of those considered taboo by society - and she does so using nothing but her heart, a blank piece of cloth and colorful thread. Bad spelling and all. I love it. Here is a link to more of her work
Enjoy!
farvel,
the lab
