Fall 2007 Exhibit: The Rescuers
Artist’s Statement: Mary Westring
Hands: These implements, with thumb attached, separate human-kind from the rest of the animal kingdom. They are capable of building up and tearing down, embracing and rejecting, loving and hating. Our language is rich in expressions concerning hands: give me a hand, I’ll give you the back of my hand, I had a hand in this, my hands are clean, I’ve been dealt a lousy hand, help is at hand, hands across the water, hands up, hands down, I’ve come empty handed, he has an open hand. Without hands we cannot build a house, tear one down, play the violin, use a weapon, apply bandages, caress a loved one, slap a face. With the gestures of our hands we reject and welcome, applaud a good performance, speak to deaf people, indicate we have not heard, signal we will not listen, caution silence. We give people a hand out, a helping hand or reject them out of hand. Hands convey our humanity with its capacity for good and for evil.
Throughout recorded history there are countless tales of the great harm that our hands are capable of. We know these stories all too well but while we cringe in horror at their telling, we must also remember to mark the good and honor those who, sometimes at great risk to themselves, give comfort, sanctuary and hope to their fellow humans.