c. Susan Sorrell Hill
The Illustration Friday word of the week is layer.
In a dog-eat-dog world, survival is a strong motivator and hiding is a most useful skill. One could even make the argument that hiding is natural because the animal kingdom demonstrates such a plethora and variety of adaptive physiologies and behaviors. Environment-appropriate colors, shapes, spots or stripes are everywhere, and hunting, foraging and mating behaviors are perfectly synchronized to particular surroundings and particular species. An animal surely knows (if it can know such a thing) who it is, where it fits and how to survive in its world.
But is hiding natural for humans? Without significant survival instincts and when faced with what seems to be a hostile universe, humans frequently resort to hiding strategies (more kindly referred to as ‘coping behaviors’) that take the form of postures, poses, masks and personas. Many of us resort to a different layer of personality for every area of our life. To our boss or clients we are one person, to our parents we are another, to our kids or friends we are yet another, and to the opposite sex, yet one more still. Could this be natural for anything that is not a chameleon?
Humans are born fur-less and defenseless, and maybe that is a cue to the path we are meant to travel on our journey through life. Some might argue that ‘superior mental faculties’ (should one interpret this as ‘the ability to manipulate’..?) are meant to replace the ‘less evolved’ survival tactics of tooth, claw and stripe…but have those same faculties brought the human race any percentage of the apparent tranquility that most animals seem to enjoy? A wikipedia essay on the Theory of Camouflage (both animal and human) notes that, “the methods by which concealment or obscurity are attained share a common set of strategies intended to deceive the observer.” Natural or not (and successful or not), for humans this hiding business is exhausting and alienating. It leads to stress and strain, illness, paranoia and lack of connection. It destroys the opportunity for true communion and creative evolution. Seems a high price to pay for propagation of the species and the safety of one’s soft underbelly…
For those of you who are wearied by the rat race and the dog-eat-dog version of reality, I send a wee bit of comfort with the poetic lyrics of Leonard Cohen (from the soundtrack of McCabe & Mrs. Miller).
Oh the sisters of mercy, they are not departed or gone.
They were waiting for me when I thought that I just can’t go on.
And they brought me their comfort and later they brought me their song.
Oh I hope you run into them, you who’ve been travelling so long.
Yes you who must leave everything that you cannot control.
It begins with your family, but soon it comes round to your soul.
Well I’ve been where you’re hanging, I think I can see how you’re pinned:
When you’re not feeling holy, your loneliness says that you’ve sinned.
Well they lay down beside me, I made my confession to them.
They touched both my eyes and I touched the dew on their hem.
If your life is a leaf that the seasons tear off and condemn
they will bind you with love that is graceful and green as a stem.
When I left they were sleeping, I hope you run into them soon.
Don’t turn on the lights, you can read their address by the moon.
And you won’t make me jealous if I hear that they sweetened your night:
We weren’t lovers like that and besides it would still be all right,
We weren’t lovers like that and besides it would still be all right.
“Parlor Persona” (oil on paper)
Different layers of somebodies personality, hiding and camouflaging aspects of your personality….deep thoughts with an intriguing illustration!
Paula
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such an amazing piece Susan. The mix of the wild and natural world with the domestic walls of a home is so interesting. i love the character, the mask, your choice of colors and the mystery. Now if i read your post there might be more clarity, but I am off and running.
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Wonderful illustration! And married to the perfect song!
I met Leonard Cohen in the bar of the Chelsea Hotel Christmas 1968. My friend fancied herself a Sister of Mercy and was quite upset when I got in the way of her ministrations.
“We weren’t lovers like that and besides it would still be alright…”
Why didn’t I have the couth to tell him…? Your painting takes me back to her room in the Chelsea Hotel so bitter/sweetly.
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Stunning and beautiful. I love your illustration and your writing.
Deb
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Hi Susan. I believe that the mind, betrays humans. Intelligence creates layers, where they should not really be.
An animal does not create layers, not to be seen by its congener. (by another animal of the same species) to the contrary. the way of surviving is to join …. and we parted, disunited us. we want to differentiate from the other. show different skins.
Unfortunately, we do not realize, that the best way of surviving is to show sincerity, and as we are.
As always your posts are very intelligent, make us think, and are illustrated with your magnificent works of art. Congratulations!
Roberto
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So much to take in! So much to think about—your writing and art is hauntingly ephemeral—I will find more and different things when I reread later in a different moment of thought and place. Thank you!
As I was reading, I kept thinking about D.H. Lawrence’s “Self Pity” and how animals don’t know self pity… pain is pain and if survival means pain, so life is pain, or a kill is a kill, they are where they are in the moment, no judgement. I don’t mean to suggest we need to thrive in pain, or remain in a bad place, but sometimes, being where we are, good or bad, is truly the only way to get to the other side. I know for me, I complicate things, read too much into things, get caught up in that race and feel the stress, and if only we humans could look at life more simply, with tranquility, as you suggest, the rat race stress might fade for a moment…
“I never saw a wild thing
sorry for itself.
A small bird will drop frozen dead from a bough
without ever having felt sorry for itself.”
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An amazing post! Poetic, thought-provoking with dramatic imagery. Now that, is an amazing narrator! Bravo, Susan!
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a deliciously rich illustration Susan! And I always love your thoughtful text.
I had to forage through my archives today. Yikes, printer problems are taking up my creative time!
Sorry to be so brief today.
best,
Laurel
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Yes, the mask is an effective survival tool for only a limited period of time. So wonderfully expressed in words and paint, so right on target. Thank goodness for creative outlets, freedom of expression! :o)
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Thank you so much for your wonderful, thought-provoking post. I got me thinking about good friends, and how the most wonderful thing about friends is that you always feel like YOURSELF with them–not only that, but that being yourself is a GOOD thing. And you’re right, everything else is exhausting.
Beautiful beautiful illustration–with the masks and draperies and the bars and twistedness of the trees in the woods. What kinds of prisons do we make for ourselves? How can we deny ourselves the joys of direct experience?
Thank you thank you!
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