Barbara Bickel

Christine Hands - choreographer - Going Dutch Festival 2018 Rosie Trump - choreographyer - Going Dutch Festival 2018 - Going Dutch Festival 2018 Carrie Gant — with Samantha Marie Replogle and Katharine Kolp.- Going Dutch Festival 2018 Kalapriya Dance Co.- Going Dutch Festival 2018 Thank You For Coming performers- Going Dutch Festival 2018 Barbara Bickle faciliating Nap-In- Going Dutch Festival 2018 Nap-In workshop in progress- Going Dutch Festival 2018 Going Dutch & Gestare Dream Scroll & Labyrinths installed Side Street Studio Arts - Going Dutch Festival 2018 Releasing the Dreams procession through downtown Elgin, Il.- Going Dutch Festival 2018

Endless Open Heart - poetry and photograph installation - photo credit Susan Walsh Mitsang photo - credit Susan Walsh

Arts-Education-Research: Connections and Directions art image by Lexi Lasczik Cutcher

Lucid Transmissions is a collaboratively made artwork created with my life partner R. Michael Fisher. It is a mixed media 3 x 2 ft artwork on canvas that incorporates the following materials; acrylic paint, pencil crayon, ink, paper, tissue, thread, fabric, balsam tree bark and buds, lichen and tumbled stones.  Upon my return last October from my solo artist residency in Banff, I entered Studio M* to find that Michael had brought a 9 foot fallen limb from a local balsam poplar tree into the studio. Having made a commitment to spontaneously play with each other in the studio, we began to play with this tree. This artwork is the second creative interaction with the limb. The artworking began when we took the bark off and collaged pieces of it onto a black gesso-painted canvas. Thus began the almost 3 month processual back and forth aesthetic dialogue with each other and the artworking through the oracular medium of creativity. It draws from each of our aesthetic and formal skills but is a unique outcome that does not resemble either of us as individual artists. It has been a grounding relational practice of recovery for us as a couple post-academic institutional life. We will be co-inquiring more deeply and writing further about the process. The found poem below, inspired by 3 philosopher’s quotes and the artwork is the first textual entry into our arts-based co-inquiry. The original quotes were chosen somewhat randomly prior to working on the art. 

Ludic Transmissions

Every instinct carries within
itself a power of variation,
ludic, in the widest sense of the word

Adaptation never comes without inventiveness.
Expressivity and creativity are the cutting edge
of the genesis of forms
of life…. instinct          sensitive
to the relations between
particular elements
composing the lived situation

War is everywhere and nowhere.
It wants to see human bodies
spread out on the same plane,
at its direct disposal,
sometimes cutting down possibilities of movement,
sometimes           opening them up

I and non-I, realizes the passage,
onto a matrixial screen of vision,
interwoven psychic imprints,
traces and waves,
from what is otherwise—either
irredeemably lost
or a potentiality,
not-yet-born

Procedure or object,
a phantasm         filtered inside trauma
appears as its trace,
… this assemblage is not private
nor individual….

Shared subjectivity and trans-subjective-objects open
aesthetic channels
for transmissions,
exchange and inscriptions via artworks,
but it is artworking that offers
this sphere          the means for seizing itself

Barbara Bickel & R. Michael Fisher, January 2018

Found Poem with text in the following order from:

R. Ruyer found in B. Massumi. What Animals Teach Us About Politics, Durham: Duke University Press. 2014 pp. 13-14

Virtanen & Vahamaki. The Structure of Change: An Introduction. Ephermera Journal, Vol. 5(10), 2005, p. 665.

Ettinger, B L. Beauty and trauma. (extract from “Beauty and wound:

Trans-subjectivity in art” colloque Art et Clinique. Mac-Mus?e de Marseille,

BLE Atelier. Retrieved August 20, 2010 from http://www.thing.net/eyebeam/ msg00403. html. 1998.

Recognizing Each Other Through Art, Ritual, and Dreams

“Keep your soul present to what we are being instructed in at this time, because out of the darkness comes so much breakthrough, it is a gestation period, a time of creativity.”

“Ritual is so important for the psyche and cosmos connecting again.”
Matthew Fox

This blog is inspired by women’s “truth telling.” It invokes a remembering of the power of women’s voices joined in unison for the healing of our wounded world.

Releasing our indigenous selves through dreams, rituals and the creation of sacred objects is explored by Sarah Kerr, a ritualist, artist and death doula, I recently met in Calgary. Her dissertation (2012) reveals the initiation journey as a shamanic inquiry. She wrote in her abstract:

“What can be learned by attending to the intersecting experiences of dreams, rituals, and the creation and use of sacred objects? Underlying this question is a deeper interest in what happens when a dreamer/ritualist/artist attempts to channel healing energy between the worlds on behalf of another person, a process that was discovered to be shamanic in nature.”

Early this fall, during my residency at the Banff Centre for the Arts, I met an interdisciplinary Australian artist, Yantra de Vilder, who wrote her dissertation (2016) on the artistic moment of Ma, building upon her masters thesis on trance and art. An excerpt from her abstract:

“[this study] investigates and analyses the processes that can be used in recording, rehearsal and performance to create a state that goes beyond time and personality – a between place, a space [she] refer[s] to as the Artistic Moment and view[s] through the lens of the Japanese concept of Ma.”

Yantra enters the gateway into the creative trance state through collaboration and improvisation.

My long time friend and colleague Nané Jordan, an artist, writer, scholar and birth doula, also wrote a sacred arts and ritual infused dissertation (2011) on the curriculum of a women’s spirituality graduate program. She wrote in her abstract:

"The woman-centred curriculum re-claims women’s history, pre-history, spiritual experience, social contributions and creative expressions by integrating
scholarly research, feminist perspectives and analysis, goddesses, activism, ritual, spiritual practices, and the arts. Through individual and collective processes of self-inquiry, healing and transformation, faculty and students contribute to new knowledge and social practices that can holistically address
local and global challenges of gender, social and ecological justice. This dissertation artfully illuminates intersections of spirituality and feminism in education that remain little known or understood.”

As I engage with these women’s creative, ritual and academic work in this Solstice season of the dark, I am prompted to return to my own dissertation which explored similar ideas with a group of 13 women spiritual leaders. What evolved in the mindful co-a/r/tographic study (2008) with these women of differing faith traditions was a relational worldview where we each transcended our individual spiritual and religious identities, and regarded and held each other as sacred aspects of the Divine. We came to this through the practice of ritual and trance inquiry, art-making and performing together. It was a powerful life enriching and at times exhausting undertaking taken on within the secular institution of the University.

Walking and making labyrinths became my grounding practice that has continued for me. The labyrinth itself is a multi-faith symbol that reaches across cultures and times, as far back as the neolithic and bronze age. The labyrinth became an in-between women’s curricular Ma place for the women and I to enter trance and re-attune with our indigenous selves, and to recognize our Divine selves in each other.

Interestingly, each of the women whose dissertations I have introduced, live with an inter-spiritual understanding of the world that informs their art and ritual practices. I am inspired and moved by these studies and their teachings that create open and respectful recognition of all beings that interrelate in a global worldview of mutuality.

Recently I have been exploring the generic aspects of the Indigenous Worldview through the work of Four Arrows, as my life partner Michael is completing an intellectual biography on Four Arrow’s life work (to be published by Peter Lang early 2018). Four Arrows is an artist, activist and teacher who is calling for trance-based learning within education systems as a practice that can take us from fear to fearlessness.

If we do not harness our indigenous selves and engage with the wisdom of ritual and trance-based inquiry and learning we are fated as a people to be hypnotized by forces that are evil. Our house is steeped in reflective, and sometimes fear-filled conversations on what is happening in the world and what appears to be a future with less and less sustainability. We talk about the world, and both its desires and needs in these days of lost truth/trust/respect and care for/with the other. The daily globally fed and growing worry and collective fear with its lack of compassion and care for the other is so very present in the current political climate. I am riveted by the "truth telling” being revealed in mainstream media, spoken by women– causing the twisted patriarchy to bow to the truth of their abuse of power and their use of fear to control and hurt women and ultimately all beings, human and non-human.

As these women artist scholars share, now is the time for entering the time/space of Ma, to dream and channel healing energy on behalf of others, for knowing ourselves and each other as Indigenous, as Divine. We are surely set for major reclaiming of a relational way of learning and unlearning. The good and beautiful work in each dissertation study above independently offers a reminder and a pathway to decolonize ourselves from the colonization of our spirits by a very toxic and out of balance Western worldview and imperialist democracy.

In my current place of life integration I find myself returning to the rich and at times provocative work unearthed over the years in the company of mostly women. I am remembering and I am listening. I invite others to remember and listen in this time of such needed wide awakeness, re-teaching, change and transformation.

In closing, I gather a collective blanket of poetic words to wrap ourselves in from these four provocative teaching and healing studies. A prayer shawl to support the telling of truth that is emerging from more and more women in the world.

Women
experience walking
the pilgrimage, entering ritual
multiple realms of knowing and
not knowing
of being and beingness
that spirit, through art
leads us to

collaborative meetings
facilitate and expand the moment
reverberant in-between zones
imbued with pressure and release
juxtapositions
of tension and surrender can result
in spiritual and creative emergence
undertaking the mysterious
work of the sacred

dreaming is a primary channel
communication between the worlds
a practice through
which human dreamers can
help facilitate the flow
of healing energy into this world

rewiring the senses is laden
with contradictions
not easy work

communion and transmission
instances of transport
between self and other
when larger meaning is grasped and
the interrelation of lives
becomes apparent/transparent

We see ourselves in the other
no matter the differences
I am not alone in this work,
I cannot do this work alone

Found Poem by Barbara Bickel

with excerpts found in the dissertations of:
Yantra de Vilder, Nané Ariadne Jordan, Sarah Kerr, & Barbara Bickel

References

Bickel, Barbara. Living the divine spiritually and politically: Art, ritual, and performative pedagogy in women’s multi-faith leadership. Unpublished dissertation. Vancouver, BC: The University of British Columbia, 2008, p.7.  

de Vilder, Yantra. Towards the artistic moment: A personal exploration at the nexus of improvised inter-disciplinary and cross- cultural collaborative performance through the metaphor of Ma. Unpublished dissertation. Western Sydney University, 2016, p. 11.

Fox, Matthew. Science and spirituality: Together again. Retrieved Dec. 27, 2017 from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=doYSdHWG2Ao

Jordan, Nané Ariadne. Inspiriting the academy: weaving stories and practices of living women’s spirituality. Unpublished dissertation. Vancouver, BC: The University of British Columbia, 2011, p. 35.  

Kerr, Sarah. Dreams, rituals, and the creation of sacred objects: An inquiry into a contemporary western shamanic initiation. Unpublished dissertation. California Institute of Integral Studies, 2012, p. 1.

I love this photo taken by my partner Michael during the talk I gave this week at the Lunch on Art talk entitled From Artist to A/r/ographer in the Department of Art at the University of Calgary. The photo beautifully reflects the overlapping and blurry qualities of the artist, researcher and teacher roles at work in the  a/r/tographer. I was invited to give this talk on arts practice-based methods at the same time I was reading the newly published book that highlights the writing of my mentor Dr. Rita Irwin, edited by Mindy Carter and Valeries Triggs - Arts Education and Curriculum Studies: The Contributions of Rita Irwin. Preparing for the talk and re-reading Rita’s work as well as my own and others writing on a/r/tography reminded me of how significant and timely this form of research is. In the past number of years I have not been writing directly on a/r/tography, yet it is always embedded and active in my work. To return to the educational home of my BFA and share the ideas and practices of a/r/tography to a new generation of artists and educators was a gift for me and I hope to those that attended. In this time of global uncertainty - politically and ecologically we need creative practices that consciously turn to a relational, critical and ethical way of coming to be, teach, know and unknow. 

If you want to watch the ppt and hear the talk learn a bit about a/r/tography and my journey with it here is the link.

From Artist to A/r/tographer

BAiR Open Studio, Banff Centre for Arts & Creativity. Oct 18 2017. Photo Credit Barbara Bickel BAiR Open Studio, Oct 18, 2017. Banff Centre for Arts & Creativity. Photo credit Barbara Bickel BAiR open Studio Oct. 18 2017. Photo Credit Barbara Bicke Cascade Mt. outside the studio sky window. photo credit Barbara Bickel

Sleeping Buffalo / Sacred Guardian Mountain (aka Tunnel Mt.) photo credit R. Michael Fisher Studio 321, Glyde Hall, Banff Centre for Arts & Creativity, Photo Credit Barbara Bickel Rundle Mt. Banff National Park, Photos Credit Barbara Bickel Bow River, Banff National Park, Photo Credit R. Michael Fisher

Reality and Recovery

Accepting reality is the first step in recovery. Last night I chose to go to bed before the final election results were known. Awakening this morning at 5am my thought was “Trump has attained the Presidency of the United States of American. This is a reality.” Immediately I moved into thoughts of what I would share in my weekly newsletter to the Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies community in which I am the Director of at Southern Illinois University. I realized what I do know is that a number of disenfranchised groups in America have risen and won over other disenfranchised groups in this current political system. The familiar win-lose binary that keeps racism, sexism, homophobia and every other oppression in place is alive and well. The backlash for the losers is excruciating, full of pain and horror. I feel overwhelmed and ill-prepared for what is to come. I wake my partner up in bed as I weep and shake and ask him for attention. Attention is what we can give each other as we do the conscious work needed to release the collective trauma that has surfaced so blatantly in this 2016 election. It is a trauma that invokes with its worst side the use of intimidation to silence us and keep us isolated and in fear. On its better side is asks us to keep moving from crying to singing. I know from my experience that it is crucial to not silence the voice even when words feel impossible and/or inadequate. As I sing, thoughts of how oppressed groups utilize singing in times of political, cultural and religious oppressions arise in my memory, both in mind and body.

I begin to ask myself questions:

How can I step out of this rampant political binary and step into what can be clearly seen as fearism now that all political correct hiding strategies have been blown up? How can I model something else more unifying with diversity for those who are part of my professional and personal life? The WGSS conference that I am in the midst of planning with students and faculty is entitled “Allies Across Differences.” We have been preparing to address the binary of win vs. lose, us vs. them. We have an opportunity to offer a hospitable space on campus for the collective trauma that this political election has brought to the world’s attention. The fall out from the election results calls for attention and healing. We have the opportunity to keep teaching truth to power in hospitable ways, and yet, not be cooperative with oppression.

I am grateful for my wise colleague Cade Bursell’s FB post in the hours prior to the final election results. Reminding us/me to continue the work; to not return hate that we feel directed at us as women, people of color and diverse sexual and diverse gender identities. Instead let us stay connected, give attention to each other’s fear but do not succumb to projecting it back out as attacks. Stand up for each other. Gather allies, strategize and continue to use your voice and gifts to build allyships across differences. I grieve for and with the young especially as they have been born into this legacy of fear. I begin this day with a simple commitment to remind people to sing. To keep walking the path with allies and those not yet allies with love and compassion. From chaos and destruction eventually comes new order. Keep teaching and speaking truth to power in your classes. And remember that the formal political realm is one of at least three realms that make up our world. The others being equally important, the natural and the spiritual realms. Take time for recovery. Spend some time outside today and remember the unconditional life giving forces that sustain us as humans on this planet.

Please contact me if you would like to set up spaces for dialogue. WGSS will do what it can to support initiatives and gatherings for recovering and generating creative and critical ideas and initiatives future.

I spent the day yesterday on an art and political ecology field trip organized by Sarah Lewison with artists Claire Pentecost, Brian Holmes and Alejandro Meitin from two different artist collectives Compass and Ala Plastica.  We ended our day of road tripping and listening to local activists at the Ohio River at Fort Massac National Park in Metropolis, Illinois, an hour from where I currently live in Carbondale. This fort was originally built in 1542 to defend settlers from the indians. It is said to have been the site of a native massacre, although this has not officially made it into western history books. 

The day prior I had a former student visit me at the university sharing she had to visit the university to talk with people in the US who were other than the people she lives and works with in Metropolis. She is terrified by her neighbours and co-workers belief in Trump making American great again. She tells me with astonishment “they really believe him!” I found an interesting article that addresses this Trump entranced town which was officially designated the home of Superman in the early 70s. In the article the author wrote that uranium is to Metropolis Illinois what kryptonite is to Superman. It is an example of what can happen when a people are in poverty, angry and desperate and entranced by media messages and not critically literate. A phenomenon that has become glaringly visible in the painfully long and drawn out US election process for the 2016 election/media season. The systematic demise of public education in the US is clearly visible and crises continue to build.

The education I obtained on this field trip is that I live one hour from a privately owned uranium processing plant where one third of all uranium mined in the world is stored. This uranium has been sent around the world to nuclear reactors. The plant is currently in the slow transition of being cleaned up after years of unsafe practices. The clean up employment rates are not equivalent to the full operational plant employment and the area suffers from poverty. The beautiful Ohio River with people fishing and cargo ships passing by, transporting mostly coal, has been contaminated by radioactive uranium. The amount of coal required to fuel these plants is extremely high. Cancer rates are also high with the result of large cancer hospitals built in this area to accommodate the number of cancer illnesses. 

All very disturbing information to take in and see in the short span of a day. As we travelled through the beauty of the natural environment we simultaneously  became entranced by the deeply disturbing activist information being shared. A devastating reality of what has been created through industry in the name of development. I was very aware of the younger students on the trip and how they might be dealing with the contradiction of being surrounded by natural beauty and taking in the information of on-going industrial devastation throughout the day. What do they think about their elders who have created this ecological/political devastation? 

I left the day wondering how art as an inquiry practice can help us integrate the knowledge of the severity of industrial damage in our world with transformative awakenings and new understandings that can assist us to change our destructively entranced state as a human species. How can art take what can be overwhelming knowledge, of the destructive capitalist industrial complex and transform it into aesthetic, ethical, politically activist trance-based learning experiences that are healthy, restorative and change inducing for life rather than death? 

MA Pose Prayer

I had the opportunity to enter sacred play with Nané Ariadne Jordan when I visited her in Vancouver this past May. To hear the results of our spontaneous art making together go to https://soundcloud.com/barbara-bickel/ma-pose-prayer

May 2, 2016 Teach-In at Southern Illinois University Demonstration for pulling the silk screen print at the Teach-In

Robert Irwin - Squaring the Circle at the Hirshhorn Performative response to the Irwin and Meyers exhibitions Linn Meyers in process at the Hirshhorn

FD Roosevelt Memorial, Washington DC. Eleanor Roosevelt - first USA delgate to the united nations in the FDR Roosevelt Memorial, Washington DC FDR Roosevelt Memorial, Washington DC

White House Martin Luther King Jr. memorial wall

Exquisite Uterus Project of Resistance installation process with students at Southen Illinois Univeristy Exquisite Uterus Project of Resistance artist Helen Klebesadel speaking with SIU students as they help in the installation Pinnin Pieces for a Cause read the student newspaper Daily Egytpian caption for the Exquisit Uterus Project. Artist Helen Kelbesadel being interviewed by the student TV station during her visit to SIU with the Exquisite Uterus Project.