Between The Lines – A Path In Peace
Drawing The Community Together Through The Medium Of Portraits.
Between the Lines focuses on the altruistic contribution individuals make to achieve the community they wish to live in. It offers an insight into what motivates people who actively contribute to the well being of their community and how their actions help and inspire others. It shines a light on who these people are and what they value.
Through the combined mediums of pencil drawings, black and white film photographs and written reflections a unique record of community life in Wales and the U.K. is being documented.
Cultivating Openness
If you want to contribute to your community you have to develop a state of being open. This quality often requires great courage as you have to put others needs before your own. But there are also great benefits, as the more you open and help others, the more they help you in ways that may not be immediately obvious!
Connecting Inspiration
Glyn Pooley commenced a series of portraits of people he met every day who he felt touched the community in some way or form. Each person involved suggested another living person who they knew personally who they believed had made an outstanding contribution to the community at large, and was an inspiration in their lives. Glyn sat and created an artwork with these people, who then recommended someone else, and so the process repeated itself creating a web of interactions which map our community spirit. The aim is for the project to be as diverse and authentic as possible, being led by those taking part.
Every Face Tells a Story
From the moment we enter the world our face is in a constant state of change. We learn to read the subtle nuances in that of our carer as our survival depends on it. But we also leave a trail of our understanding and experiences on our face. From the obvious indicators of ‘laughter lines’ to ‘birth marks’, our face is a map. The special relationship and size of our facial features combined with the way we communicate all share information with others.
Connection With A Deeper Resource
The participants in Between the Lines offer deep insights. They show that for a community to flourish it needs a balance of altruism and finance. The people in this exhibition have made real spiritual gains and turned them into practical acts to create the community they wish to live in, this can often be taken for granted or even ignored. I would hope this project goes some small way to changing these attitudes towards the value placed on materialism in our society at the price of individual happiness. It would be lovely to think of people connecting with this resource, smiling and thinking, I can do those things and make a difference to my community and now I know why, it can give me a happier, peaceful more fulfilling life.
Beyond Face Value
There are many layers to individuals. What people present to the world can often be a mask for who they really are. People have many different temperaments and are carrying out all kinds of activities but the main underlying motivation is a desire to be happy. A consistent theme revealed during this project is the wish to find happiness, understanding and peace through helping and thinking of others.