"They are sacred objects and we gaze at them in ignorance and wonder, and the reason for that is... the unknown shines through them at us in partially articulated form." Jordan Peterson
Recently we came across several videos by clinical psychologist Jordan Peterson filled with powerful, insightful commentary on the role of art and artist in society.
"...art is a window into the transcendent... that's what it is... and you need that in your life because you are finite and limited, and bounded by your ignorance and your lack of knowing. And unless you can make a connection to the transcendent then you don't have the strength to prevail."
I think for Adam and I, this is our greatest hope for our art; that it can be more than just decorative, but also transcendent.
As we've been talking together about what this looks like in real life, I received an email from Chelsie Lawter, who explained her transcendent experience with one of my sculptures "Watching it Grow". It is a powerful example of exactly what Peterson was talking about. Thank you Chelsie, for allowing me to share it.
Hi Lorri,
I just wanted to reach out briefly and thank you for your incredible, moving art. The first time I encountered your work, back in 2019 in an art gallery in Santa Fe, I was stopped in my tracks by your sculpture, “Watching it Grow.” It spoke to me in a way that no piece of art has before or since, and in a way that is hard to fully put into words.
I first saw it at a time when I desperately wanted to be a mother and was grieving fertility challenges and two recent miscarriages. I had started to feel that my body was repeatedly failing me and that I couldn’t trust myself. This sculpture spoke to my soul with a different message. It evoked thoughts of the successful pregnancy that I hoped to someday experience, but it also helped me start to believe that I could allow hope itself, like the flowers in the sculpture, to cautiously, tenderly grow inside me again after those miscarriages. It helped me to start to trust in my own resiliency to overcome difficulty and to hope that maybe I could learn to trust my own body again. It both captured feelings within me that were hard to express and, at the same time, helped me understand those feelings better.
At the time, I couldn’t afford to purchase that sculpture, but I never forgot it. I thought about it as I began working in mental health, watching my patients let their own hope and resiliency grow within themselves. And it continued to resonate when I ultimately did become a mother. It spoke to me of the experience of pregnancy, the experience of watching love I didn’t know I was capable of grow within me, and more - it just seems to keep developing new layers of significance with time.
We purchased “Watching it Grow” a couple years ago, and it continues to be as meaningful to me today as it was when I first encountered in five years ago. I love having it in my home where I see it every day. I still follow your art and have seen pieces in other locations like Cedar City, UT, and of course online, and have been moved by many of your other sculptures. I was thinking about this piece again today, and I just wanted to say thank you and let you know how much your art has mattered to me. I hope you’re well.
Thank you again.
Sincerely,
Chelsie Lawter
I can't thank Chelsie enough for giving us a look into her journey with this sculpture.
I love that the meaning it holds for her evolves as she moves through her life and that Watching it Grow" has new depth of experience as the years go by.
I love that she didn't have to own it to be profoundly impacted by it. At the same time, we can see how owning the art deepens the meaning and creates the opportunity for different meanings to be revealed over time.
We love to hear your stories of your experiences with our art. They have a profound impact on us. They inspire us to make new work, and they fill our hearts with joy. Most of all, they tell us that we are connecting with you, and giving you a glimpse into the transcendent.
Lorri and Adam
Comments