.svg)
The Mountain Man, The Bear, and The Camel
Artist's statement: At each step of this long, topsy turvy road, there is craziness, kindness and togetherness to be found.
[Experience the work by selecting the shapes from left to right]
The Mountain Man is very gruff. Avoid him on the street, make space around his strong presence in spite of his leaning limp. He maintains the aura of his once mountainous strength, in his now weary frame.
The Mountain Man finds himself exhausted from a lifetime of climbing the steepest hills. Trauma and heartbreak are etched on his brain and fill each breath. He exists around the injuries the hill climbs have weighed him with, making small but tiring adjustments.
Every adjustment sets him further away from the people at the bottom of the hill. The contrast between them and him is stark now; the Mountain Man is segregated.
The Mountain Man is very gruff. Avoid him on the street, make space around his strong presence in spite of his leaning limp. He maintains the aura of his once mountainous strength, in his now weary frame.
The Mountain Man finds himself exhausted from a lifetime of climbing the steepest hills. Trauma and heartbreak are etched on his brain and fill each breath. He exists around the injuries the hill climbs have weighed him with, making small but tiring adjustments.
Every adjustment sets him further away from the people at the bottom of the hill. The contrast between them and him is stark now; the Mountain Man is segregated.
The Mountain Man is very gruff. Avoid him on the street, make space around his strong presence in spite of his leaning limp. He maintains the aura of his once mountainous strength, in his now weary frame.
The Mountain Man finds himself exhausted from a lifetime of climbing the steepest hills. Trauma and heartbreak are etched on his brain and fill each breath. He exists around the injuries the hill climbs have weighed him with, making small but tiring adjustments.
Every adjustment sets him further away from the people at the bottom of the hill. The contrast between them and him is stark now; the Mountain Man is segregated.
Surrounded by few, trusting of fewer. Living alone, the Mountain Man finds peace. He makes sure to put off those who get too close, finding flaws in their tiny fragments. Efforts to send others away hurt both them and him. The Mountain Man revels in, and loathes, his loneliness.
Our Mountain Man is nocturnal. At the odd hours, he potters. This is when his smarts are displayed for the silence. Intelligence is one of the few things favoured by a hard life. Our Mountain Man is interested in everything; he reads the broadest of topics, he surrounds himself with a varied life’s treasures, he nurtures, then forgets his animals and land, he keeps a keen eye on the world’s occurrences.
Careful to let himself drift off; he knows the sharpest pain is found in his subconscious. He is finally asleep. The quiet bush listens as our Mountain Man’s screams cut through the calm. Those tiresome traumas have left him on edge.
Our Mountain Man is soft now, the night’s adventures and day’s nightmares have gentled him. Sit with him, lightly hold his hand, speak in hushed tones, calmly tidy the mess made. Cook, wash, organise and medicate. Find and offer him stillness.
My Mountain Man is also my Dad.
Surrounded by few, trusting of fewer. Living alone, the Mountain Man finds peace. He makes sure to put off those who get too close, finding flaws in their tiny fragments. Efforts to send others away hurt both them and him. The Mountain Man revels in, and loathes, his loneliness.
Our Mountain Man is nocturnal. At the odd hours, he potters. This is when his smarts are displayed for the silence. Intelligence is one of the few things favoured by a hard life. Our Mountain Man is interested in everything; he reads the broadest of topics, he surrounds himself with a varied life’s treasures, he nurtures, then forgets his animals and land, he keeps a keen eye on the world’s occurrences.
Careful to let himself drift off; he knows the sharpest pain is found in his subconscious. He is finally asleep. The quiet bush listens as our Mountain Man’s screams cut through the calm. Those tiresome traumas have left him on edge.
Our Mountain Man is soft now, the night’s adventures and day’s nightmares have gentled him. Sit with him, lightly hold his hand, speak in hushed tones, calmly tidy the mess made. Cook, wash, organise and medicate. Find and offer him stillness.
My Mountain Man is also my Dad.
Surrounded by few, trusting of fewer. Living alone, the Mountain Man finds peace. He makes sure to put off those who get too close, finding flaws in their tiny fragments. Efforts to send others away hurt both them and him. The Mountain Man revels in, and loathes, his loneliness.
Our Mountain Man is nocturnal. At the odd hours, he potters. This is when his smarts are displayed for the silence. Intelligence is one of the few things favoured by a hard life. Our Mountain Man is interested in everything; he reads the broadest of topics, he surrounds himself with a varied life’s treasures, he nurtures, then forgets his animals and land, he keeps a keen eye on the world’s occurrences.
Careful to let himself drift off; he knows the sharpest pain is found in his subconscious. He is finally asleep. The quiet bush listens as our Mountain Man’s screams cut through the calm. Those tiresome traumas have left him on edge.
Our Mountain Man is soft now, the night’s adventures and day’s nightmares have gentled him. Sit with him, lightly hold his hand, speak in hushed tones, calmly tidy the mess made. Cook, wash, organise and medicate. Find and offer him stillness.
My Mountain Man is also my Dad.
The Camel is the gift we share, a joy that the Mountain Man and the Bear can find together. The Mountain Man takes the camel to the store. Together the Bear and the Mountain Man feed the camel. This is their common ground.
At each step of this long, topsy turvy road, there is craziness, kindness and togetherness to be found.
Sometimes, it’s a camel called Alice.
The Camel is the gift we share, a joy that the Mountain Man and the Bear can find together. The Mountain Man takes the camel to the store. Together the Bear and the Mountain Man feed the camel. This is their common ground.
At each step of this long, topsy turvy road, there is craziness, kindness and togetherness to be found.
Sometimes, it’s a camel called Alice.
The Camel is the gift we share, a joy that the Mountain Man and the Bear can find together. The Mountain Man takes the camel to the store. Together the Bear and the Mountain Man feed the camel. This is their common ground.
At each step of this long, topsy turvy road, there is craziness, kindness and togetherness to be found.
Sometimes, it’s a camel called Alice.
The Bear tracks the man around the mountain. She keeps a close eye but tries to find and maintain a safe distance - a hard balance to strike as the Mountain Man is fickle and Bear’s comfort and calm directly correlates to his.
Made in the Mountain Man’s image, it’s hard to know where the man, the mountain and the Bear start and stop. So intertwined, that even when the Bear ventures off the Mountain, the Man’s teachings surround her.
When it’s time, the Bear hibernates. She is tired from this journey together. The Bear hides herself away, she needs respite and to find regulation.
My Dad calls me Bear.
The Bear tracks the man around the mountain. She keeps a close eye but tries to find and maintain a safe distance - a hard balance to strike as the Mountain Man is fickle and Bear’s comfort and calm directly correlates to his.
Made in the Mountain Man’s image, it’s hard to know where the man, the mountain and the Bear start and stop. So intertwined, that even when the Bear ventures off the Mountain, the Man’s teachings surround her.
When it’s time, the Bear hibernates. She is tired from this journey together. The Bear hides herself away, she needs respite and to find regulation.
My Dad calls me Bear.
The Bear tracks the man around the mountain. She keeps a close eye but tries to find and maintain a safe distance - a hard balance to strike as the Mountain Man is fickle and Bear’s comfort and calm directly correlates to his.
Made in the Mountain Man’s image, it’s hard to know where the man, the mountain and the Bear start and stop. So intertwined, that even when the Bear ventures off the Mountain, the Man’s teachings surround her.
When it’s time, the Bear hibernates. She is tired from this journey together. The Bear hides herself away, she needs respite and to find regulation.
My Dad calls me Bear.