MOTUS/Docent-curated from the CCMoA Permanent Collection

June 1 - October 1, 2022

MOTUS (Latin): Motion or Movement; also sway, struggle, passage, progress.

The sun warms our shores and visitors race over “The Bridge”. Businesses bustle, we dodge traffic. Our land reconfigures itself with the push of waves and the pull of wind. A snail and a dolphin glide along, each at its own pace. Technology accelerates our earthly experience; a fierce storm barrels into shore, stopping us in our tracks. It’s all MOTUS.

MOTUS as Movement/Motion/Gesture

We are creatures of motion. We jump with exhilaration; we bow to show reverence. We pet the dog, snuggle with the cat. We raise our fists, we run, we communicate through body language. We cross continents to explore or to help.

MOTUS as Sway/Oscillation

We express ourselves through music and dance; roller coasters sway as they race along their tracks; a boxer bounces back and forth; we negotiate; we backtrack; we apologize.

MOTUS as Struggle/Agitation

We engage in conflicts over rules, wrongs, ownership, respect, fairness, survival. We agonize over competition or personal demons that taunt us. Politics and struggle are often synonymous.

MOTUS as Transit/Passage

Ships transport us around the world. Subways provide underground passage. Seasons spin us through their cycles; the baby bird breaks out of its egg. Our personal journeys transport us, change us.

MOTUS as Progress/Advancement

Improved machinery; space exploration; experiments and focus groups. New ways, ratified laws, newfound acceptance and compassion. Learning, letting go, taking the hit but absorbing the lesson. Sharing the planet with consideration for all…we can dream.

Consider the many ways the MOTUS theme suits the works individually. What resonates for you? Make note of the living artists represented; we celebrate their continued creativity.

- CCMoA Docent: Carolyn Duch