Friday, July 15, 2011

Photographing the Essence of Healing

Smoke and Mirrors: A Journey to Healing Knowledge
by Vance Gellert, PhD

"While the term smoke and mirrors is often pejorative when applied to some activity, suggesting something that is deceptive or fake, to me it is magic. Here it refers to the unexplained magic of healing that is part of the healer-patient relationship. As a pharmacologist I believe that in-depth studies of plants used for healing in indigenous cultures will provide the best source of finding new medicines. My strategy has been to not engage in documentary photography, but to interview healers and then observe and participate in their healing rituals. This portfolio is a story of my journey to healing knowledge that starts at the spirit of place and proceeding through the various facets of traditional and indigenous healing to how art and photography can lead to innovative ways of knowing." Read More

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