Horses-on-Parade Community Project

by Belinda Bryce

The sponsor for the horse Spirit is PharmHealth Infusion, Inc. PHI's charity is Camp Soar, which is a camp for children whose lives are infected/affected by AIDS. Spirit is painted using several translucent layers of Golden acrylic and interference paint.

Certain layers have symbolic meaning. For example, one layer consists of diagonal markings which invoke movement forward and up, or flight as in soaring. Another layer consists of photocopy transfers of photographs of people who have actually participated in Camp Soar's programming. These people are young and older, black and white, male and female. AIDS and its impact on families knows no age, gender or racial boundaries. Another layer is a random line that moves in and out of the diamond pattern, suggesting the random quality of life's ups and downs, and how unlikely things become connected in meaningful ways. The diamond pattern is similar to the squares of the famous AIDS quilt which is dedicated to sharing the stories of those who have died. The final layer is a pattern of stripes in the colors of a rainbow, signifying hope for the future.

The imagery and the use of translucent layers thematically relates to movement through time--past, present and future--and space. The overall effect is intended to be interactive: as the viewer comes closer to the horse, he/she will notice the "history" or layers of imagery; as the viewer moves around the horse, he/she will perceive changing levels of color because of the interference paint. These characteristics relate to the dynamic and ever-changing quality of our lives and embrace both the light and the darkness that is part of human experience.

Belinda Bryce
May, 2001