Major News Flash! The grand finale of “The Stories Behind the Story” series is here in Chapter 12, The True Meaning of “Faith”… and How it applies to you? as well as How “The Revealed Faith Series Began.”
Part one of this edition recounts Susan’s grad school friendship, promise, and betrayal. Belief, Confidence, Conviction, Acceptance, and Self-Assurance, all descriptive “faith” elements, work to Susan’s benefit. There is more to discover about faith and my artwork.
Throughout this past year, your journey with me has delved into personal stories intricately threaded with the theme of concealing and revealing. Each narrative peeled back layers, providing an intimate glimpse into the inspiration behind my artwork.
If you missed any stories, catch up on the website’s News section.
Now that all the stories, especially the final chapter, have been completed, your insights mean the world to me. Please take a moment to share your thoughts—let’s keep this creative journey alive by sharing our stories!
The True Meaning of “Faith” … and how it applies to you?
- Susan’s Story: Art exhibition promise
- The Definition of Faith
- How “The Revealed Faith Series Began”
What Does the Word “Faith” Mean to You?
Many of you will immediately associate the word “faith” with religion when asked what it implies. Faith is more than just a standard concept. Based on life experiences, it has many meanings. I’ll tell you the story behind “Revealed Faith” after recounting a story a graduate art student shared. It is about a positive self-discovery despite losing faith in her best friend. She believed this awful circumstance had a silver lining, so she trusted me with the tale and permitted me to share it.
Susan’s Story: Art exhibition promise
Two graduate students (I'll call them Susan and Mary) had grown close during graduate school. They were about to complete their MFAs when the art school required them to select a location outside the university for their graduate thesis exhibition. At a nearby institution recognized for the quality of its exhibition program, they discovered the ideal exhibition location.
They eagerly anticipated sharing this significant life event and spent hours arranging their artwork according to the floor layout. After discussing the installation with the curator, the students agreed to use the hanging system provided by the gallery and not use any other method.
As they both worked on the exhibition's last touches, Mary concluded that she needed extra time to finish her MFA. Knowing that the show depended on her participation, she promised to exhibit her artwork with Susan.
Exhibition installation failure
On installation day, as Susan hung her framed artwork as requested with a hanging system, she was shocked to see Mary driving nails into the walls. Upon seeing this, the curator was furious and summoned Susan into the office. After realizing that Mary had deviated from the predetermined installation procedure, the curator asked her to cover the cost of wall repairs. She refused. Susan expected Mary's participation, which was crucial to the exhibition. She now questioned why she had relied on Mary to follow the curator's installation request.
Susan begged Mary to make amends to the curator by apologizing and offering to pay to have the holes in the walls patched. She explained that her refusal set a negative tone for the thesis show. She pleaded with Mary, her best friend, "Do it for me." Mary still refused. Susan then went to the curator to apologize for the damage and offered to pay for the repairs. Since this was her thesis exhibition, she felt compelled to comply because she didn't want the curator to harbor any ill will against her during the opening.
Friendship betrayal
Mary’s betrayal of their friendship was inexcusable, which devastated Susan. After two years of hard work and thesis research, what should have been a fun-filled graduate experience ended with embittered feelings and a torn relationship between two friends. Mary had let their friendship down by refusing to accept responsibility for her actions in disobeying the curator’s request and neglecting to consider how those actions would reflect upon her friend Susan’s exhibit experience, nor how it would affect Susan’s feelings. She had initiated an awkward relationship between the curator and Susan. Susan expected Mary to acknowledge how her actions had hurt her. After all, they were best friends, and because of their closeness, Susan expected Mary would someday accept responsibility for her actions.
Eventually, Susan no longer believed her friend would take responsibility for her actions. Nonetheless, the friendship came to an end. At that point, she had lost faith in their friendship but maintained gratitude for the outcome and learning experience.
A silver lining
There is good news at the end of Susan’s story. But first, at the beginning of this article, I mentioned that faith has several definitions. Although, as I previously pointed out, we commonly associate “faith” with a religious belief or practice. As illustrated in Susan’s story, Faith, for her, had revealed a new awakening to the actual dynamic of faith within herself and her friendship with Mary.
Regardless of how the friendship turned out, Susan ultimately discovered a more apparent conviction and self-assurance. While under pressure caused by her friend’s actions, instead of being consumed by the anxiety and stress of the situation that her friend left her in, Susan instead focused on her work, having a successful show, and the final thesis exam.
Meanings of faith
So, what does the word faith mean?
faith noun
/fāTH/
- belief in the traditional doctrines of a religion
- dependence on someone's intentions or promises
- complete trust and confidence in one’s self
Belief, Confidence, Conviction, Acceptance, and Self-Assurance are all descriptive elements of faith that worked to Susan’s benefit. In the end, the good news was delivered. The thesis committee was impressed with her artwork and her written thesis. She was awarded her Master of Fine Arts degree with honors.
- Dependence on someone else is an expression of faith you place on another person.
- If someone promises to do something for you, you rely on them with faith that they will follow through.
- If you hope something will occur, you are practicing faith that it will happen.
However, the most significant practice of faith that you can have is faith that you have in yourself.
How the “Revealed Faith” series began
The defining of faith now leads me to tell you the story behind the Revealed Faith series, The Stories Behind the Story. During my exploration and eventual conversion to Judaism, I was able to share the journey with a trusted circle of friends and family. However, there were individuals with whom I could not share this personal journey due to a sense of inevitable disapproval. This knowledge caused inner turmoil, preventing the revelation of my chosen faith beyond a select few. I had faith in my family and friends that they would support and understand my decision. I was not confident that the individuals whose response I feared would be anything other than displeasure.
All the internal upheaval initially came out in the artwork series “Concealed Faith.” In that work, I disguised Hebrew words to the point that they were no longer visible, with only bits popping out here and there. As I became more comfortable revealing my Jewish identity to a broader circle of friends, the artwork shifted to “Revealed Faith,” where the letters and words became visibly prevalent in the compositions. While creating this body of artwork, there was a shift in my expectations toward disapproval. I had conviction in my artwork and confidence in the story behind its inception. I wanted to reveal my story to help others who were struggling as I had so they could find faith within themselves to be authentic. So, I decided to share the stories behind each work in the “Revealed Faith” series, and “The Stories Behind the Story” was born.
In the end
For me, “Revealed Faith” has little to do with religious belief as it does with finally finding the self-assurance to be genuinely myself. Concealing and revealing is an overarching theme in life’s journey. It’s everywhere around us. We live in a familial and societal world where we hide aspects of ourselves for fear of judgment and rejection. As a result, we disguise who we are. In the Revealed Faith story, we will find the means to be authentic by sharing our stories. Through my art, I aim to inspire others to see the beauty in embracing and expressing their true selves.
Be open and share
PS
Read the entire series of The Stories Behind the Story that lead up to "The True Meaning of Faith...and how it applies to you?
Through the Eye of the Beholder: Exploring How Others See an Artwork - PURPLE
Hidden Treasures: Navigating Sibling Rivalry - OCEAN
True Passion: Artistic Family Perceptions - ORANGE
Cherished Memory: Harmony by the Sea - SEA
Kaleidoscopic Chamber: A Magical Morning of Gratitude- YELLOW
Safe Haven: A Summer of Girlfriend Camaraderie - LAKE
Mysteries Concealed & Revealed: Discovering Family Secrets - BLACK
Unconditional Support: Concealing Emotional Pain - ROCK
Daydream: Journey into the Imagination - TREE
Crossroads: Unique Opportunities Shape Your Life - ROAD
Personality: I Love the Color Red - RED
REVEALED FAITH STATEMENT: The big story behind all the drawings
Fascinated by how we conceal or reveal ourselves, I ask, who are we, and how much do we hide from the world? The question has been at the heart of my recent artwork, inspired by the history of the Crypto-Jews during the Inquisition. These individuals continued to practice their true faith in secret, using their ingenuity to avoid detection by the authorities. It’s intriguing how they concealed their religious practice and how clues were revealed to those who knew where to look.
However, this is just one example of how people have historically hidden their true selves. Even in modern times, many still need to mask their identities, fearing persecution or rejection. It’s a painful reality that so many of us hide who we are.
In my artwork, I explore the tension between concealing and revealing my own identity as a Jew. How much should I disclose, and what should remain veiled? In my drawings, I embed Hebrew words that are partially concealed within abstract environments. These symbols serve as a metaphor for how we all hide aspects of identity while providing a subtle hint to those who know where to look.
Ultimately, I hope my art will encourage others to feel more comfortable expressing their true selves. Whether we conceal or reveal our identities, we all have a unique story to tell, and we must find the courage to share it with the world.