This Hollow Heart (2023)
A journey through death, grief and sorrow. A celebration of hope and life; a reminder of our impermanence, that our shadows can lead to new and ever abundant light;
Detail of The Hollow Heart (2023). A bespoke commission.
Late last year I was privileged to work on a private commission for Fran Mart. His photography I have admired for a long time; along with the vision, values and aesthetic of both Fran, and Dave at The Bothy Life.
Fran Mart. Portrait curtesy of Fran Mart Photography
Both Fran and Dave captivate me continuously with their deep and poetic perception of life; and not just the joyous times: most anyone can create beautiful highlight reels. But to stand in the thick, choking smog of darkness and yet find compelling and life affirming messages - that give humanity hope - that’s a real skill.
After a long span of admiring his visual art, It was a joy to connect and get to know more about Fran personally. What stood out to me the most was his depth of emotion, courage, openness and hope about such a personal and dark time of his life - which ultimately lead him to me and this work, and now to you. A stark reminder of the pertinence of all human connections: how we find ourselves in these moments together; intertwining into one and others lives… a little bit like right now.
The Bothy Life: Musings on what it means to be human.
THE STORYAround a decade ago Fran lost his younger brother very suddenly in an accident. Fran explained: “After a period of confusion and deep sorrow I felt the courage to embrace life again and to hold a new light”. Fran found the strength to venture outside of his native country - venturing here to the British Isles and his now beloved Scotland - to grow emotionally, culturally and spiritually: to live, to learn: to heal.
Fran resting at the beautiful Gairnshiell Lodge, in his beloved Scotland. Image curtesy of Fran Mart Photography
“Slowly, that deep hollow space in my chest began to fill up, especially with the beauty of our natural world. Understanding that life and death, light and shadows can only exist because of each other”
I think sadness and grief has the power to unite us more deeply and resolutely than any other emotion; and yet getting there, communicating it; or meeting someone within their grief and holding space just for them is likely one of the most difficult of things for us to do. We run and hide from it, we fumble, we’re awkward, we’re uncomfortable, ashamed, and toxic positivity peppers our post-death prose.
But this completely invalidates our human experience.
It can lead to [further] trauma, isolation, depression and unhealthy coping mechanisms. We hashtag ‘its ok to not be ok’ and yet in real life - between real friends and real faces - we’re failing; ourselves and each other.
In grief we need to join our pain or the pain of others, without prevarication. And whether that be in gestures, words, or art; we must meet and hold ourselves (and others) exactly where we are.
We must connect. And however fleeting these moments may be, they create the opportunity for some of the most deep and meaningful experiences of our lives; a juncture in time and space within the heart of another. Something that I believe makes life worth living.
THE WORKThis Hollow Heart (2023); A journey through death, grief and sorrow. A celebration of hope and life; and a reminder of our impermanence, that our shadows can lead to new and ever abundant light.
The Hollow Heart (2023). A bespoke commission For Fran Mart.
Stitch detail.
Stitch detail.
Detail of The Hollow Heart (2023). A bespoke commission; Smoked oak Framing by Anna Kora Studio.
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