The Parable of the Fortress by hanevi
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Description
Acryllic on canvas
I recently read something about gentleness in men in the Writers' gallery, and was intrigued to see that all the responses to that bit of writing at the time of my reading, were from women. That made me want to post this painting that I'd done in December 2006, and I want to thank vaggabondd for having the courage to write something so different from the norm.
In my country, the intentional killing of girl-children in the womb is a serious, and increasing problem. Female foeticide may be only a concept to a lot of people in western countries, but here it's harsh reality. In some places, the girl-boy ratio is only about 490:1000. In the capital, where I live, which is currently in the process of revamping itself to be projected as a world class city, there is quite a high incidence of this horrible crime, with the middle class and the affluent being the primary culprits. There are many reasons for this: women being culturally considered inferior, the financial burden of paying large sums of money to the groom and his family for marrying off a daughter, and the presence of boys being necessary for carrying on the family lineage and doing last funerary rites, being only some of them. Whatever the reasons, the medical profession is often hand in glove with this, with private clinics advertising their butchering expertise with the notorious ad-line: pay 500 now, save 500,000 later.
Many social organisations and individuals are trying to get women to actively fight this (many women support this killing because of a warped philosophy coming out of a culture based on falsehoods that they've been indoctrinated with for centuries), and the organisation for which I work, which hosts an annual art workshop on social issues, took up the theme of 'Female Foeticide' last year. I was disturbed to find most of the paintings focussing on the concept of the woman having to fight and break free of this, and decided to paint something geared to challenge men, since in my country, nothing corrective is ever said to us.
I felt that 'manhood' in many parts of the world has become a fossilized monument, an impregnable fortress that looms with dark presence over many societies. I had a picture of the need for men to be 'broken'; of a need for men to respond not just intellectually to problems in society, but from the heart, in the way women do; of a need for men to 'emerge' as role-models in society of responsibility, compassion, maturity, gentleness and strength. There is a need for an encounter with life, love and truth in a way that changes us completely so that we can start becoming REAL men.
God help us in this.
The response arising out of an encounter like this would be like the flowing out of lava, with passion and strength, and where it touches the sludge of human life, it brings sweetness and life, so that even the very rocks sprout forth. Any other sort of response, passionate, though it may be, will cool and solidify into passive inertness, when it touches the harshness of reality.
Thank you for viewing and reading this. Your comments are always welcome. Please do be free to visit my gallery anytime.
Best wishes,
hanevi.
Comments (7)
mamabobbijo
It has always amazed me that either sex feels it is superior. Without one there would be no other! In some countries there dowry must be paid by the grooms parents, to replace I suppose the value of the women they are carting off. feels rather like a purchase to me. In most species the female has the upper hand, she makes the choice. You have painted a wonderful piece. Your cause will remain, now, uppermost in my mind, and I will pray for a breach of the walls that hold these minds in thrall. Perhaps at one time the system could have been argued to have made sense, however in today's world it is archaic. May your educational campaign light a million candles. May those candles light the darkest corners of the citadel in which these archaic ideologies hide. I pray that the men and women together will change for a better tomorrow. the unwillingness or inability to adapt and change has caused the extinction of many species. BJ
thecytron
Very original idea!
Mondwin
Great paint...bravissimo!V:DDD.Hugsxx Whylma
auntietk
It's been my experience that men don't take well to a frontal attack. Telling a man he's wrong does not often produce the desired result. (Especially about his manhood!) If you flatter men and tell them they're so clever for having come up with this idea on their own, they are more apt to fall in line. This is a secret every woman knows, and it doesn't matter if the men know it too - it doesn't spoil the effectivness of the tactic. Changing these cultural norms is so critical! Choosing just the right weapon is such an important decision. I'm sure you already know all of this, and I'm not telling you anything you haven't considered before. Clearly, you have come to embrace this more enlightened cultural view, and are obviously on the leading edge of the curve in your country. I wish you the best of luck in your work - what you're doing is very important!
ARTWITHIN
This is a wonderful painting and an important article about a significant issue. You could receive many individual ideas to try in order for a change to be made. Honestly, people and organizations have been trying for decades. So let me express things from my own personal experience as a woman on the receiving end. What do I see as the root to the problem? Generally speaking, men focus on themselves, women focus on others, until there is no reciprocation over time. That is basic human nature from its beginning, with good reason related to survival. Times have changed and men can afford an adjustment in their perspective. I don't believe in manipulating men into a behavior, even if it works. That assumes men are inferior, and that isn't true. Respect breeds respect. The goal is for men to respect women. That is not just a problem in your country, it is worldwide, in every socio-economic, and cultural group. The difference is in degrees and expression. Men need to learn to see the see the needs of women and respond, just as women do for them. Love=The other is the motivation for all before self=unconditional love. It is then a partnership. Anything else is master and. That takes, in part, self-conditioning so the seeds can take root. It has to be chosen not forced. To choose that, it has to have and advantage, a value for the man. Relationships are very Yin/Yang, and what goes around comes around, for both.
bobutah
actually quite striking. very good work. ty
LazloHollyfeld
Hanevi, This is beautiful, in concept, texture, and execution. I am impressed with the course of action you have taken to express yourself. It is honorable and admirable. Thank you for putting up this work and your thoughts. Hope all is well with you my friend!