“Hour of Decision” by Deborah Kennedy
Deborah Kennedy’s “Hour of Decision” is a powerful piece. At initial glance it could be considered serene and dreamy. Its compelling message is not.
The female form is cradling the hourglass like a precious baby. And indeed the clock is ticking (or the sand is running out) on humankind having a healthy planet on which to live. Our use of / dependence on plastics is harming life and is not environmentally sustainable.
The light reflecting off the CDs sparkle as if the figure might be sitting on the ocean floor surrounded by bubbles, or she might be seated amongst the stars in the heavens. The dimensions of the piece are quite large: seven and a half feet high and six and a half feet wide. I see this installation as Sacred Art. Kennedy has created beauty from our plastic waste while delivering a dire warning to all of us. She asks us, what will we decide?
I hope you will take time to read Kennedy’s thoughtful statement regarding plastics in our waste stream. And perhaps when we do, we can consider our individual and collective roles in acting with more mindfulness to our daily use of plastics. (You might even become part of one of the voluntary litter collections in our community.) Kennedy’s “Hour of Decision” is a clarion call to action, and I invite you to take her up on it.