In 2011, I began working on a series of photographic portraits of Artists in the process of creating. My curiosity to discover what it takes for each Artist to connect their own imagination to the universal source of creativity has allowed me to witness and experience the remarkable relationship all Artists share with each other. I believe both healing and creative energies come from the same source. In the words of Joseph Campbell “The Shamans of the past are the Artists of today.” All Shamans and Medicine People know that the healing energy they use comes from a universal source or well, which is not theirs but rather comes through them and out to the person or community they are offering to heal. The Hollow Bone is a Lakota Indian term used to express the intention of the Medicine Man or Woman, which means to be open of mind, body and spirit in order to allow healing energy to flow through them like a bone that is hollow. It is believed the greater the openness; the greater the potential healing can occur. The Shaman knows they are not the one responsible for the healing; rather they act as a conduit for this energy to be received by those in need of healing. I have discovered through my experiences with Artists that they share the same purpose as the Shaman, to bring light and healing to others and the world around them through their art. Each Artist I have photographed has shown such uniquely diverse ways of expressing themselves and yet I have witnessed the presence of an outside force that is universally identical. Through my ongoing photographic exploration of Artists and creativity I continue to discover the human need express oneself and use art in all its forms as a unifying and connecting force of good and healing.
Robert Banat