Statement- words only
When I hear about the theme of this project, I was somewhat reluctant and apprehensive as it felt a very personal and somewhat difficult theme to consider. So I reminded myself to take things one step at a time and started my research by watching ‘Why We Hold Hands’ by Dr James Coan and was very moved by his presentation. In it he describes how holding hands with people we love can help us to work through difficult situations- in one case a veteran with PTSD symptoms who drew strength from holding his wife’s hand during treatment. Dr Coan followed up on this event by creating experiments that showed the supportive nature of close relationships by identifying brain activity linking two people with a pre-existing close emotional bond.
It reminded me of a time when I was receiving treatment with a counsellor and my daughter was not able to be there but she was supporting me from afar. So I asked my counsellor to hold my hand- to keep me anchored in the room and in the here and now- and she agreed. I trusted her implicitly and also was able to imagine my daughter holding my hand in that moment. It was very powerful and meaningful.
The other story of hand holding that is near to my heart is my Grandma who used to ask me to hold her hand as we sat and chatted. I loved this and can still feel and see her beautiful aged and arthritic hands and the love we shared. I can also imagine her smell- very soft and gentle. Coming from a family that was not big into displays of affection, my Grandma gave me a great gift and I know I was able to offer her comfort too. This remains a vivid memory to revisit these many years after her passing.
As part of my research I also watched a video about why we shake hands. It spoke of it being a friendly gesture of greeting and parting that is steeped in history- both Christian and Islamic cultures.
One striking things about this article is that it was made during the pandemic when shaking hands was not allowed due to public health concerns. It reminded me of that time when human touch was scarce (especially for people living alone) and that it is a relief to be able to be in community again.
As someone who lives alone, my dog was especially important to me during the pandemic and beyond. My past and current dogs both have lovely soft fur to bury my hands in. My current dog, Magnus, is beginning to come up to me more and more for scritches and belly rubs. It feels like a lovely reciprocal relationship. While we don’t hold hands, this is an aspect of a close relationship that is based on touch and trust.
Before the class I didn’t who my partner would be for the project so I wanted to keep my ideas open to allow for collaboration. It would need to be something that would feel good for both of us and I was sure the aspects I had explored so far would inform my side of the joint creation.
On the day, I found myself working with Jim. This was interesting as we hadn’t had many chats up to that point and I wondered what common ground we would find. After a quick exchange of ideas- including an open hand gesture or a pointing finger gesture- we both settled on a hand clasp, much like an arm wrestling grip. It resonated with both of us and felt comfortable. Jim noted that it felt like a powerful gesture and I noted that I liked the aspect of solidarity and unity that it suggests.
We then had to rehearse how we would be able to invert the posture and be comfortable for ten minutes while the mould set. It was challenging but well worth it. As the mould was setting we had a good chat about the gesture we had chosen- both feeling it represents strength and unity and is much needed in these times of division.
After a day the sculpture was removed from the mould. Two days later some initial tidy up was done to smooth out imperfections. Further light sanding will be done once the hydrocal has hardened more. The detail of the hands is impressive and I can really recognise my own hand, including the veins. It is intriguing to see part of myself replicated in actual size and in relation to someone else.
The sculpture has a dynamic appeal. The gesture requires articulation of all the joints in the hands and activation of muscles too, which gives it a sense of movement. We were actively gripping each others’ hands to create the gesture and also to minimize the seep of alginate into the spaces. There is a reciprocity implicit in the posture- of energy flowing back and forth.
It is interesting how beautiful the sculpture looks from different angles. It’s as if the two hands have created one form and this certainly expresses our theme of solidarity and unity.