The Dichotomy of the Human soul: Without darkness we cannot appreciate the light.

It is my belief that while there are two sides to every soul both are necessary and vital for growth. There is an old Native American story about two wolves fighting inside you. The Story talks about how the wolf you feed is the wolf that wins control over your soul. I believe that there should be a balance between both wolves in order to be in harmony. The Taoists believe in the Yin and the Yang, and that a balance is required for true peace and harmony. I understand this belief, I feel that balance is necessary for survival. That nobody will truly be at peace if they feed one wolf more than the other. To starve off one of the two wolves is to kill a part of yourself. It is burying a part of yourself that could be harnessed for strength, protection, and security. In this project I want to show the strength and protection that can come from embracing the darker side of the human soul. Of harnessing the darkness and using it to fuel the light. Of finding true balance and inner peace. I use gargoyles and Fu dogs to represent the darkness, the masculine, and inner strength. I use angels to represent the light, feminine energy. While researching this project I came across a perfect example of the embodiment of this project. A group of individuals generally seen as being dark and evil using their reputation and darkness to protect people who desperately need it. This organization is called Bikers Against Child Abuse. It is an organization that helps child abuse victims regain their power. The entire organization is fueled by big burly bikers who are using their reputation of darkness to bring light to the lives of children who need it. Photographers like Robert Mapplethorpe and Man Ray use double exposure to display a deeper meaning within a photograph. Or to create images that would be impossible to do without such techniques. By using the alternative processes of Cyanotypes and Van Dykes, I am adding texture to my images. I am creating images that are extremely difficult to be reproduced. The processes give an old world austere to the photographs. I use a direct contact print process to expose the images from digital negatives or from 4x5 film negatives. http://www.sapphyr.net/natam/two-wolves.htm http://www.taopage.org/yinyang.html http://bacaworld.org/ http://tetofun.blogspot.com/2011/02/double-exposure-photographs.html http://www.flavorwire.com/297204/gorgeous-double-exposure-shots-by-famous-photographers-nsfw