Our Worlds Mosaic of Intersectionality: A Painting by Stacy Berlin
Our Worlds Mosaic of Intersectionality
Painting, acrylic on canvas, 20” x 16″
Stacy Berlin 2021
Stacy Berlin, Psy.D.
Existence + Time + Space = Life’s Process
The Painting Process
Images and visions emerge freely
—connections to others close and greater earth
Creating something of myself primarily unconscious for others to connect with
Joyfully revealing, exhilarating and enlivening—
Other associations are welcome
imagination and fantasy — conscious or unconscious
The thrill of passion evoked—
we separate and connect constantly and continually
Quotes below from:
Estelle Shane, Ph.D., psychoanalyst, John Sloane, M.D., FRCPC, psychoanalyst, Julie Oscherwitz Grant, L.C.S.W., psychotherapist, Michelle Lalouche-Kadden, Ph.D., psychoanalyst, David Schreiber, Psy.D., psychoanalyst, Martin Goodman, Ph.D., psychoanalyst, Vula Baliotis, Ph.D., psychologist, Jane Jordan, Psy.D., psychoanalyst, Susan Picascia, L.C.S.W., executive coach/psychotherapist, Parastoo Seidenfeld, Ph.D., psychologist, Joseph Bobrow, Ph.D. psychoanalyst, Zen rōshi, Carol Tannenbaum, Ph.D., psychoanalyst, Anonymous, L.C.S.W., hospital executive,, Anonymous, Psy.D., psychoanalyst, Harvey Martz, Ph.D., psychoanalyst, Lena Rivkin, M.F.A., artist, Renee Ciocca, ESTI, masseuse, Lesley Vansky, frayndin , Hal T. Fitzgerald, D.C., chiropractor, artist , Surki Borschevkovsky, B.S.B., human being
Panorama pinned down by detail. I love the whole, and I love the minutia of which the whole is composed. Each element draws me to it. This is clearly a depiction of life as it can be lived if it is to be lived well —not missing the forest for the trees, not losing the trees in the forest. Whimsy and meaning integrated.
Estelle Shane, Ph.D., psychoanalyst
I’ve often thought of colours as a metaphor for feelings, light and dark to the points of blackness and whiteness–even before the rainbow was appropriately appropriated by LGBTQI+. And flags as banners, of course, for whatever we claim or identify with. The Ankh has long struck me as a prescient ancient expansion of the cross, capturing life, death and rebirth. Your vivid eternal triangles, creating and created by the star of David suggest stable structures, physically and spiritually. Oh, that we could triangulate Truth, with the help of a Third, in time to detoxify lies before they destroy all that’s sacred to us!
So much to play with! Thank you.
John Sloane, M.D., FRCPC, psychoanalyst
Intersectionality. I want to embrace it. In Stacy Berlin’s masterful hands, the various cultures, religions and identities of our world stand the best chance of coexisting, ‘living’ side by side. Learning to deeply understand, correct, even out disparities, come together. I wish this vision could slide off the canvas and come to life in our world. All of the flags and symbols and the people they represent, they should all be able to be heard as they are seen and taken in from this beautiful spread of shapes and colors.
It seems right to embrace intersectionality, in theory. It is a framework intended to parse out and understand the interweaving complexities of advantaged and disadvantaged, empowered and oppressed, to help us acknowledge and ground ourselves in differences, ultimately to set things right. But often there are groupings of movements that exclude, decide who is oppressed and who the oppressor, oversimplify, and thereby deepen divides and deny realities of people with whom ‘they’ who have aligned with one another disagree.
Stacy Berlin is a unifier. Her painting feels optimistic, bright and warm, gathering all in together, offering a vision at once sweeping, rich, and deeply complex. Given the vast continuum of emotions many of us experience in the course of this sometimes-emotional roller coaster life, how fortuitous for me that my ride brought me to this place in “existence + time + space”, to “Our Worlds Mosaic of Intersectionality.” Try to see the parts, see the whole, see myself, see the other, imagine how it all can fit together.
Julie Oscherwitz Grant, L.C.S.W., psychotherapist
Bold colors, strong emotions held together, yet distinct. Curiosity. Gentle magnitude reflecting deeply held pain, rage? Reflections of peace emerge.
Process of deeply held beliefs, softened and Bold again.
Michelle Lalouche-Kadden, Ph.D., psychoanalyst
Your painting makes me think of the difficult but vital balance we as psychoanalysts and therapists must maintain in our work with our patients: on one hand we define and clarify clear distinctions in subjectivities – this is my experience, this is your experience; on the other hand, we strive for deep empathic immersion and an erasure of those very boundaries –
our subjectivities overlap and have influence over the other.
David Schreiber, Psy.D., psychoanalyst
Reminds me of Rothko– colors inform each other [like emotions]. Some parts are opaque and others the light pushes through, such that there is never a beginning nor an end. The planes are intersecting. We are more than connected; all realities intersect and inform each other.
Martin Goodman, Ph.D., psychoanalyst
Bold colors and lines signify boundaries of self and group membership/affiliation (religion, nation, gender, sexual orientation, profession…). Yet the “boxes” are next to each other, and sometimes symbols break through to other boxes, signifying our connectedness and impact on each other. Some sections also contain more than one symbol within them,
which makes me think about our multiple identities.
Vula Baliotis, Ph.D., psychologist
Are we a separate or a whole? Where do we fit in and where not? What if the boundaries are illusion? Who would I be, you be, they be, we be if not sectioned off?
Susan Picascia, L.C.S.W., executive coach/psychotherapist
There’s a vibrancy and a darkness to this painting, which to me represents humanity. Labels, symbols, and colors that try to define people, create the darkness in this world. Yet maybe people need to affiliate with a group, to think like others, and to be part of,
to feel the group energy and vitality in order to survive the human experience.
Parastoo Seidenfeld, Ph.D., psychologist
Bright and bold, Stacy’s painting speaks to me of our identities and our differences,
how we might connect while respecting both.
Joseph Bobrow, Ph.D. psychoanalyst, zen rōshi
Awe Stacy, this painting evokes liveliness, vibrancy of color, order, unification and integration, the language of symbols. I love it.
Carol Tannenbaum, Ph.D., psychoanalyst
I can’t/won’t comment in the same way as your colleagues:
Inclusive, worldly, humankind
Gorgeous colors draw my eyes in.
I don’t know half the symbols you painted, so I’m feeling ignorant.
But I do know the other half, your painting is making the world a better place!
Anonymous, L.C.S.W., hospital executive
I am Stacy’s number one fan under all other circumstances but these. And “these” refer to the depiction of the Palestinian flag. Given the Afghan Muslim family to whom I gave my house I will skip the display of my non-bigoted credentials. This is literally a case of “some of my best friends are…” But I digress. What I cannot tolerate is that the Hamas charter explicitly calls for hunting down and destroying the Jews all over the world, wherever they may be found. And I find equally repugnant the reviling and criminalizing of homosexuality.
I can’t embrace the Palestinian flag.
I am not advocating for the current (or recent past) government of Israel any more than I would have for the despicable Trump. Both endangered their nation-states, but this is not my point here. I have enormous difficulty with the “woke” position that defends BDS and jumps on the bandwagon of those who want the annihilation of the Jews. As a 50+ years student of WW2 European history I can honestly say that it’s eerie how there are people now who simply don’t believe that the destruction of Israel could ever happen. I think we heard this song before, in the 30s, sung by those who heard Hitler say what he thought, but they never imagined what would take place. Similarly, Hamas has made it crystal clear that the land they want— “from the river to the sea—Palestine must be free” —equates with the total annihilation of the land of the Jews. I could go on and on,
but you get where I’m coming from .
I do not expect agreement on this perspective. We all have a right to our opinions, and I will honor and dignify the viewpoints of others. Was it Voltaire who said that he disagreed with (whoever) but vowed to defend to the death their right to say it?
Actually, if I am truthful, I would be thrilled to persuade a few minds to rethink things, but as with all political matters, it’s best never to try to do so no matter how gratifying it might be. What I settle for instead is refusing to remain silent about something I care so much about.
So—dearest Stacy—pls come up with another idea for a painting,
and you can know in advance that you’ll have my unqualified support every step of the way.
Jane Jordan, Psy.D., psychoanalyst
I am not that moved by abstract art; I can feel coerced to say something, to like it, or to have a deep experience. I typically do not feel anything by it (especially Basquiat); maybe it is my shortcoming… Albeit Warhol light me up. Back to the point, given the colors and composition, I find your painting joyful, happy, and uplifting…
Anonymous, Psy.D., psychoanalyst
I love the radiantly sharp beautiful colors.
As I look at your art the words that come to my mind are:
Global unification and harmony!
Harvey Martz, Ph.D., psychoanalyst
a striking and personal visual narrative— strong bold contained elements that create a whole— layers of meaning— serious and whimsical— variety of personal symbols taking us back into time and space— a personal passionate landscape— symbolic self-portrait— a collaboration of deep meaning— religious reference and playful exploration— part of a visual autobiography— a quilt of memories
Lena Rivkin, M.F.A., artist
Religious complex interesting
Renee Ciocca, ESTI, masseuse
… your artwork shows vibrancy of color which I love. You are a bold and creative person and the colors complement who you are. I notice the addition of the Jewish Star, the Canadian flag, the Caduceus and the “T” for your darling [Tau /ˈtɔː, ˈtaʊ] … I am curious as to the other symbols you have chosen to use in your painting. I love the uniqueness of your art piece.
Lesley Vansky, frayndin
A collection of colors and shapes intersect to create their own harmony.
Hal T. Fitzgerald, D.C., chiropractor, artist
An authentic piece of the history of our world.
The artist experiments with human dignity—
An ultimate depiction of how the mixture of suffering and desire-for-life
can lead to tragic and/or extraordinary life.
Surki Borschevkovsky, B.S., human being
The End
