Feeling at One

Abstract

“My perspective is understood through the relational-cultural theory of feminist counseling psychology. Janet Surrey's theory frames the primary construction of self as in relation to others, that is, organized and understood in the context of important relationships. Personal development, even on a cognitive level, occurs through empathy and mutuality. Women in particular tend to understand their identities through a history of crucial one-to-one relationships. Disconnection and loss threaten the arrangement of personal identity. The pillow forms suggest an oscillation between the enclosed individual and the shared consciousness of the group, and both inform identity. Feeling at One concerns a present construction of self as a drawn image, through a framework that attempts to understand, manipulate, and make sense of the past connections. Clay is transformative and vulnerable to manipulation, and offers a type of resistance that echoes humanity. Both human and clay bodies share contradictions and overlapping properties for form, including: male/female, inside/outside, ^ accessible/inaccessible, hard/soft, solid/vulnerable, and exposed/protected. Connection allows for the interface of these disagreements, and deepens an understanding of self.”