Bharti Shaadi: The Spiritual Journey of Suzanne Erickson
Jackie Gornbein
Take a deep breath: inhale, feel your ribcage expand, hold it, keep holding, and now let it out. It only takes a few moments to put your life on pause and set aside time to recognize the intimate simplicity of the air that keeps us alive. The breath is a symbolic release, a way of liberating what we keep inside. Living in the hustle and bustle of Southern California, we often take the simplicities of life for granted without realizing it.
Artist Suzanne Erickson focuses the majority of her work on the human experience. In her latest installation Bharti Shaadi (Indian Wedding) at the Wignall Museum of Contemporary Art, Erickson reflects on her personal experience of releasing. Bharti Shaadi began when Erickson traveled to India to explore ritual and healing. The rich cultural traditions of India are recognized worldwide. With the help of local Indian women, Erickson created an individual and personal ceremony. Erickson explains, “I wanted to take the time and make a ceremony not with anyone but to celebrate change and a new beginning. Like dressing for a wedding and going to the temple but this time on my own. It was a life-changing time for me, most of all because I made it that important.”
The Indian wedding ceremony is elaborate, full of rituals and traditions that span back generations. One of the most characteristic elements of Indian weddings is color. In Bharti Shaadi, Erickson showcases the vivid colors of Indian fabrics. Erickson’s mother assisted in constructing modern Western-style dresses from fabric traditionally used for Indian sari dresses. These fabrics are rich not only in color, but in Indian tradition. The dresses are hung from the ceiling of the gallery, with puddles of resin beneath each dress. The color of each puddle corresponds with the color of its dress, creating an effect that feels as if the color of the dress dripped directly onto the gallery floor. This dripping not only holds a deep personal meaning for Erickson, but also relates to the broader human experience of releasing, cleansing, and reflecting. The dresses are beautiful both visually and symbolically.
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Suzanne Erickson Bharti Shaadi (Indian Wedding) Installation Courtesy of Wignall Museum of Contemporary Art |
Bharti Shaadi is the visual representation of Suzanne Erickson’s personal spiritual journey. The installation challenges viewers to take a step back and examine the individual changes and drama everybody faces, to savor the essence of life. A visit to this installation is sure to evoke reflection of your own personal life experiences. Bharti Shaadi runs from January 25 through March 6, 2010 at the Wignall Museum of Contemporary Art.
Visit www.chaffey.edu/wignall for more information.
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