Bardo ∞ Project explores creativity as a form of spiritual care in collaborations with terminally ill artists nationwide to establish their legacy, and facilitate mind and body integration. I present relics from these journeys to illuminate the positive effects of art, and engage the public about end of life care advocacy. A portrait in absentia, "Chris' Hand Holding a Camera" Marne Lucas, 2016, cast brass, PVD coating, found plastic camera. Made at Arts/Industry, a residency at the Kohler Co. Factory program by JMKAC. Western society struggles to deal with terminal illness, conditioning us to treat people in a fragile manner and not as themselves. I collaborate with artists with life-limiting diseases artists to make their lives vibrant, and facilitate legacy projects to best honor their work. I document the process using photography and video, making their portrait and conducting interviews, and, present unique works by my collaborators. “Bardo” is the Tibetan word for the transitional existence between death and rebirth. Living with life-limiting illness and the process of dying are similarly "in between" states and are opportunity for introspection and honesty. I assist the dying to arrive at peace and acceptance within a short time frame, aiding them in defining their creative legacy via unique and collaborative works. The dying process acts as a space for a person to reflect on their life and career. In witnessing that vulnerability, I'm faced with the question “What is most valuable?"
I travel nationwide to meet and work with these individuals. The artists donate one work to Bardo ∞ Project’s permanent collection to be exhibited in galleries, community spaces and museums, beyond their lifespan, keeping their memory alive.
Bardo ∞ Project will present a California artist at MOAH Lancaster in May 2022. The project premiered at Rio 2 Gallery (2018) in Harlem featuring my photographic portraits placed alongside unique works made by my first three artist collaborators. Sculptures in cast brass, iron and vitreous porcelain made at an Arts/Industry residency were based on my first collaborator, Brooklyn photographer Chris Brunkhart. I participated in Re:Imagine End of Life (2018) a New York city wide festival with an artist talk, and an artist residency at The Grady Alexis Gallery at El Taller Latino Americano, providing free community art workshops with supplies sourced at Materials for the Arts. Bardo ∞ Project was made possible in part with a 2018 creative engagement grant from the UMEZ Corporation administered by the LMCC; with additional support provided by Soda/WERKS, and FracturedAtlas.
