Filed under: Plus 3 Ferris Wheels
Conjuring Prophecy, 2007
Running Time: 3:08 mins
Heather Stratton – Kalamazoo Michigan
“Women are not imaginative enough and intellectually complex enough to kill themselves.” -Emile Durkheim
Self-eradication due to religious fanaticism has long been a preferred way of communicating with and serving deities. Having been privy to the mourning process of both Catholic suicide and Evangelical suicide, I found a confusing dichotomy between both of the families’ thoughts about their newly departed loved ones. It was not what I expected. Is it possible that religious doctrine can be revised to suit the current needs of a family in grief? Is it possible that the soul of a self-murderer will go to heaven just because the family cannot handle the truth and reality of their own teachings?
There are many reasons people self-eradicate; psychosis, depression, guilt, revenge, boredom, chronic pain and even religious fanaticism (please refer to the first reason). Although all self-murderers come to the same conclusion, their means remain as unique as their selfish desires. However, we may never be completely sure if all self-eradications were actually self-murder. Especially in the case of women, since they are not complete enough to commit such an act. In this event, we must consider what will become of the female soul after supposed self-murder (the wisdom of Durkheim allows us the knowledge and comfort that women never kill themselves). I bet they all become martyrs and saints.
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Plus 3 Ferris Wheels 
Heather you have this ability to be so subtle in the execution of your art, but at the same time you are ever so blunt, and I love it! And what I enjoy even more, is that your personality is the same; your art is a reflection of your personality to a “T”
Comment by Amy Stieve March 11, 2008 @ 6:04 pmHeather’s work is so great to view because there are so many interacting layers within each piece. I think that this works for her because anyone can approach her videos or her 2D work and take a meaningful message away. It takes a lot of skill and thought to produce such a wonderful body of work.
Comment by Elizabeth M Sant April 24, 2008 @ 2:06 pm