I'm standing inside a canyon. It's dark. And loud because a river runs straight through this place. From where I stand on the slippery rock precipice, my eyes are following the rushing water’s path, watching as it disappears into the belly of the cave system. I'm wearing only my swimsuit. I'm cold. I’m scared. I'm 9 years old. I look up and see an opening in the roof of this cavern. I can see the blue sky. I want to go there. I need to get up there. I shut my eyes and call to him with my mind. My protector, my wise one. I see his black snout first peering over the edge of the opening, then a massive paw, almost bigger than me. He makes his way down to me with graceful agility. He's brought me something. A hooded cloak, a miniature of his own image. My snout, his snout, together. I climb on his back and grab his soft fur in my hands, and we go through the opening, into the sun.
Bear with me transforms this Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR) vision-story into an installation of painting, drawing, and sculpture. ‘Bear with me’ seeks to reveal what has been lost or shrouded behind the thinking mind. It is a magical story of rupture and repair, where imaginative dreaming can bring gentle attention and care to the hurt child-part of an adult psyche.
Photos by Sarah Walker.