Dark Night of the Soul
An exhibition as part of a programme of contemporary art exhibitions in London with a focus on Spirituality and Mysticism. 22 February – 2 March 2019 Private view 21 February 6-9 pm Featuring Charlotte Edey, Emma Talbot and Gosia Walton, curated by Martha May Ronson Dark Night of the Soul is a group exhibition of works by three female artists exploring themes surrounding the post-spiritual awakening process. The title of the exhibition Dark Night of the Soul refers to a poem written in the 16th century by poet and mystic, St John of the Cross. The poem describes the stages journeying through and beyond spiritual enlightenment, a profound life-changing voyage of realisation, purgation, contemplation, acceptance and ascension.
The term used to describe the significantly dark period, occurs as a shift in consciousness is taking place. It can last a month or a year or even a couple of years. Following the peak of enlightenment, one can experience symptoms of loss, grief, disconnectedness, separateness, loneliness, ungroundedness and ultimately feel a sense of meaninglessness. At the same time, one can experience an immense sense of joy, peace and surrender.
It is difficult to connect with others during what could be described as a ‘spiritual depression’. You realise that the world is full of possibilities and your ability to manifest becomes profound. You love this transition. You love and are full of love; it radiates from you like a light beaming from your chest. Fuelled by discovery, the desire to share this new found knowledge and wisdom is so strong that you reach out to those closest but your esoteric ideas are debunked and in return comes a deep sense of judgment, unworthiness and frustration.
Your entire conceptual framework has collapsed; you undergo a complete loss of subjective self-identity (ego death). But try not to put labels on things or over-analyse in pursuit of finding your purpose; realise that these thoughts are not your own but they are recycled thoughts from the collective human mind. Unable to focus on anything but the state of the human condition and the state of the world, you are reconnecting with yourself and with the divine source energy. Remember that you are an immortal soul having a human experience.
An important part of the journey is letting go – letting go of conventional ways of doing things, old patterns and belief systems. Consciously or subconsciously you cut ties with those that do not serve you. This can be painful and you undergo an experience of loss. Forgive those who are not where you are right now. Along with the surge of higher vibrational frequencies come ascension symptoms; you experience a purging. Sever ties with things that aren’t resonating with you and understand that they were just holding you back anyway. By doing so, you make room for things that do serve you and will allow you to move forward and ascend. It is a time to reassess, reduce and refine.
Once you accept what is, then comes flow – effortless creativity, a sense of timelessness – be without resistance and embrace your transformed state of consciousness. Connect with your highest self and allow yourself to be who you truly are.
The selected works in the exhibition embody polarising feelings and emotions that arise during the lengthy process and together, form a journey. Tapestries by Charlotte Edey set surreal dreamlike scenes leading a female figure or ‘self’ through doorways and stairways to alternative realities.
Gosia Walton takes direct inspiration from her own personal experience of DNotS through layering of razor sharp acrylic cut outs and skeletal forms in a way that illustrates a conflict between freedom and restriction. Her limited edition print The Fountain, 2019 illustrates a free flowing expression of the purging process, that of emotions, relationships and conditioned beliefs.
Intense and Remote Connectivity, 2018 by Emma Talbot comments on the yearning for connectivity in our current modern world where we’re connected more than ever and yet feel less connected than ever. A plush dyed velour female figure, surrounded by pebbles titled after Hélène Cixous’s essay Coming to Writingrefers to creative leaps and the agency of the individual in dreams and imagination.
MOTHERS operates from a heightened level of consciousness to challenge the traditional gallery model by supporting new thinking, embracing new ways of working and championing ideas over image.
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