This is our first installation at anything other than a commercial gallery or art museum. Our intent is to provide a collection of photographs that provides hope, food for thought, and our wishes for better times ahead for those in physical rehabilitation. Our thanks to Alan Thom of West Boulevard for all his support, and his willingness to allow us to do whatever we want in his space.
The pictures are produced as limited edition black and white dual-toned silver gelatin prints, hand-printed in our darkroom from film, dry-mounted on museum board and framed with a shadow-box matte in anodized aluminum. All materials are museum grade - for more information on our photographic process, click here.
The title wall.
The big block in the main treatment area.
In the small screened treatment area.
In the small treatment room.
Also in the small treatment room.
Opposite the title wall.
Who doesn’t love a day at the beach? Especially a day on that one secret wild beach with the sweet wind and the careening surf and the caressing sun and the blond sand and the shining grass and the endless sky. It is a time for renewal, a chance to be with the elements, a reminder of childhood, a reach for the horizon. There ain’t nuthin’ like a day at the beach.
Russel Kwan
Imagine a glorious healing sanctuary, sheltered by surrounding hillsides, the air sweetened by abundant pines and moderated by a nearby coastal sea. As you stand in the midst of this special place, you become aware of all that is available for your restorative journey. You note a bathhouse, theatre, temple, gymnasium, banquet complex and music hall. Your room opens onto a peaceful central courtyard surrounded by exquisitely crafted colonnades and statuary. At night you are led by torchlight to a dormitory where to the scent of incense and the sound of hymns you recline on a couch, breath the fresh air and slip into your dream world. Spa supreme indeed.
Welcome to Epidauras, the sacred site of the Greek healing God Asclepius, also known as the God of the Art of Medicine. Indeed it is the Rod of Asclepius, based on a serpent legend, that is commonly used to this day as a symbol for medical practise.
It’s no wonder Epidauras attracted patients from far and wide – flocking to this sanctuary of contemplative beauty. Although some crude bronze tools survive as evidence of early surgery, the process defined at Epidauras was to provide the conditions for patient self-healing, through dream recall and analysis. The doctor/priest was a spiritual leader, skilled in dream interpretation. Every corner of the sanctuary was designed with therapeutic milieu in mind, to provide the conditions for the patient to elicit the dreams needed for the healing process to proceed. Exposure to music, theatre, visual art, and physical activity, offered within a context of natural beauty, played a significant role.
I had the pleasure of visiting the sanctuary of Epidauras in 1994, while Russ and I were on a European cycling adventure. Mostly reduced to rubble, save the acoustically magnificent theatre, I clearly remember being inspired by both the beauty of the site, and the multi dimensional approach to healing practiced by our ancient ancestors some 2300 years ago. Some believe you can still feel the healing power emerging from this site, and the presence of Asclepius himself.
In “Just Another Day On the Beach”, we may not be able to transport you to a Greek seaside sanctuary, but hope to inspire you to lose yourself in an imaginary journey to our own Western North American beaches. Play with friends, go barefoot in the sand, fly a kite, anticipate the storms, take tea in a creaky hotel on a high bluff. Discover your personal path. Reenergize the body, refresh the mind, and restore the soul. Enjoy.
Wendy Kwan
Let’s go to the beach!! Who doesn’t respond to this call to action? It’s pretty hard to resist the idea of walking along a wild grassy dune, or the thought of catching the first scent of salt air as you near the ocean’s edge. Who can come away from the beach without sand in their toes, soggy socks from a sneaky wave, an umbrella turned inside out by a sudden gust, or a sun kissed nose? We all revel in the unpredictable consequences and our store of previous beachside memories drives our appetite for more. The physical and emotional connection is undeniable.
We go to the beach as an outpost for pure disconnected fun, a refuge for long quiet walks and joyful tide pool revelations. Here, we still communicate directly with each other, run with our dogs, and bring family for picnics. We usually hear a lot of laughter, and if just for a little while, life becomes pretty simple.
On other trips we watch over the beach and all her activities from a warm safe space on a cold harsh day, or a high bluff bench when the sun peeks through. An understated and peaceful allure surrounds us and we can almost grasp a sense of timelessness, the perfect conditions for private thought and reflection.
When the time comes to turn for home we long to stay for more. Reality calls, but with new memories safely stored, we know we will be back.
Wendy Kwan
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