I am a magazine junkie. Love the things and find it hard to part with a lot of them. One day, it reached a point where I felt I was swimming in magazines and I needed to sort through them and part with some. I took up the task flipping through pages to decide which ones I could part with. I came upon a picture of Nelson Mandela gazing out of his cell. He had a wonderful peaceful look on his face. The article went on to tell how Mandela taught prisoners forgiveness. I was so moved. As a sculptor, I thought of doing a relief and putting it on my wall. I put the magazine away.
A few days later, a call for entry came in the mail from an art gallery asking artists to create a 3-D sculpture focused on identity. The intent was to create something autobiographical that would engage the viewer emotionally. I took this as a synchronicity. That was it I had to sculpt Mandela! By his very presence, he speaks volumes about his beliefs. He automatically stimulates thoughts, and emotions about freedom, justice/ injustice. Instead of having him behind bars, I wanted to see him standing in front of the jail in a nice suit as opposed to prison garb. He would be looking at the viewer thoughtfully with one hand under his chin and the other extended holding a golden key. His statement to the viewer would be, “Yes, you can make a difference.” My idea was that he would be challenging the viewer to look at what he/she perceives in the world, believe in oneself and try to make a difference.
I tried the idea out on a few folks and found that they thought it would make a powerful statement. Someone told me the sculpture would even inspire prisoners who might otherwise feel hopeless. Years back as a clinical psychologist, I worked for the Municipal Court, Psychiatric Institute in Chicago. My job there was to evaluate people who had been arrested. I often went to the House of Correction. Yes, prisoners need something or someone to inspire them.
I set about finding pictures of Mandela at different times in his life and started figuring out proportions. I built the armature, and modeled a clay figure. I am a real do it yourselfer; so I tried to make the mold. I laid on the silicone rubber and made a freeform support shell. I was convinced I had it all together. I dismantled the sculpture and put away the clay. I attempted to make a wax cast only to discover, I had screwed up. There was no way my mold would work. Oy Vay! I failed in the mission. I went to the foundry to figure out what I had done wrong. They set me straight by advising that I could make separate molds of the arms. Instead of one solid piece, I needed to make three molds. The foundry would pour the metal using the lost wax method. I had to start all over again. I didn’t make the call for entry, but I ended up with a piece that I feel positive about.
Sometime later, a friend told me Mandela was in poor health and was in and out of the hospital. At the time of the sculpture, I had no idea about the state of Mandela’s health. I searched the web and learned he was 94 years of age and not doing very well. Later, I read some articles about the insensitivity of the media and the ANC during the time of his crisis. Given his age, the tenuousness of his health, and knowing none of us live forever on this planet, I was stumped. Now, what to do? I certainly did not want to be disrespectful, insensitive etc. I was not trying to cash in on his demise. Instead, I would like to submit this concept to the public for feedback and possible endorsement as a bronze public art piece life size or larger. He is an inspiration to all of us.
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My name is Opal Cavitt Morning Star. By training I am a clinical psychologist (Master of Science, New Mexico Highlands University). I spent about 20 years working in various assignments primarily as a clinical administrator dealing with different populations. (Epileptic, schizophrenic, maximum security, adult developmentally disabled). A career in the psychiatric arena takes a lot out of you. On television, I was seeing various psychologists on talk shows discussing their books. My thought was they didn’t have any more to say than I did. I wanted to write. It happened that I ended up going to a social change workshop in 1969. At that event, there happened to be a white South African man; our brief association there created quite a stir. I am Heinz 57; I was clearly advised I shouldn’t be talking to this man. My experience there later inspired me to write an intense social change drama. It was so 1960s and I would like to write a new social change drama taking in the dynamics of today.
Family illness brought me to rural Colorado where I learned about Flight For Life and helicopter medevac. A horse had thrown a woman in the mountains and very possibly broke a rib. A horseman rode furiously to the resort where I was to summon help. It was feared it would be too dangerous to try to bring this person down the mountain and risk puncturing a lung. I was so intrigued by this event, that I later approached Flight For Life and asked them if I could have permission to write a book about them. They agreed and the result was: Flight For Life, A Matter of Life and Death http://whyhelicoptermedevac.
I guess I am a restless creative. Later, I saw a sign in a window: La Scuola Classical Sculpture School. I went right in there and did a couple of week end workshops and discovered I had a natural gift to sculpt. Tragically, the master sculptor, Jefferson Rubin who started the school lost his life in an unfortunate accident. A documentary is being made about Rubin; you can find him on YouTube. At a loss as to what to do, I started experimenting with African tribal art.
Seeing Nelson Mandela gazing out his cell window mentally and emotionally took me back to the late 1960s and my interest in social change. Presently, I am doing a lot of research to create a venue to help Native Americans gain economic access to the greater society while preserving their culture. Presently, their unemployment rate is 30%. I am so moved by social justice / injustice issues. I want to use my life to make a difference. Later when I have made significant headway, with this effort, I will share my thoughts. Thus far, the Commission on Indian Affairs, is supportive and wants to help find funding.
