A Statue in Pieces: Photography

Artist Statement

Behind a crisis pregnancy center in Tupelo Mississippi, there is a winding path that makes its way through flowerbeds and large rock carvings. The Garden of Hope is intended to offer a path to healing for women who have lost a child. In the center of the plot of land, there is an island. You walk across a curved bridge and find yourself before a statue of Jesus, a woman, and an infant. I return to this garden again and again, because there is love on the face of Jesus, and the woman is holding her heart in her hands while Jesus holds her child. For me, this picture of being cared for personally and compassionately does offer hope.

On one morning visit, paint pens in hand, I decorated a rock in memory of my friend’s stillborn daughter. I brought along my camera, hoping to capture the peace of the place and share it with the friend whose child I was there to honor. I took shots of the statue as a whole, but found them inadequate. I tightened my focus, trying to frame the details that make the piece so captivating.