Sara Behling

Lakewood, Colorado

Title: Wound Rectified

Year of Creation: 2007

Glaze: Cone 10 reduction clear glaze with platinum and mother of pearl luster glazes

Clay Body: Porcelain

Dimensions: Height 8 inches, Width 3.5 inches

Artist's Statement: What happens to the human spirit when it is eliminate suddenly? How does the survivor find meaning in their life? How does one experience transformative identity through this process?

In Viktor Frankel's "Man's Search for Meaning" he speaks of the victims of the Holocaust who survived, and went on to find meaning in their lives. He says..."the human potential which at its best always allows for:

1. Turning suffering into a human achievement and accomplishment;

2. Deriving from guilt the opportunity to change oneself for the better; and

3. Deriving from life's transitoriness an incentive to take responsible action."

This vase, which is often filled with flowers at the peak of their life/blooming, is a metaphor. It likens the wounding, which takes place to the spirit when a significant loss occurs, and the healing process by which an individual is able to ameliorate their soul. The top of the piece is an interpretation of what mends the spirit after significant losses as Viktor Frankel experienced in Auschwitz and in later years. Healing can take place (on many levels) by helping others and the comfort that gives to the individual. The thin textured slab 'patched' into the slashed opening in the vase signifies the mending of the soul. Mother of Pearl and platinum luster were used to highlight the amazing resiliency of the spirit to heal.