Personal Narrative: Ra Paulette And Cave Art

Searching for an artwork that speaks to you can be a difficult task for some people. Some people being myself, that is. So when I finally came across Ra Paulette and his cave art or cave carvings, I was/am very much intrigued. This man has spent the better part of his last 25 years excavating caves in New Mexico. And wow, are they something. From only having seen pictures and videos of his work and already being moved by it, I honestly couldn’t imagine how it would be to actually appreciate his work first hand. He’s dug out many caves into masterful works of art. One of my favorites of his is the “Tree of Human Kindness.” It took Ra 10 years to complete this work and only with the company of man’s best friend, his dog of course. Anyone who would put this much dedication into something they love is inspiring to say the least. When I observe his, work I gather from it this sense of serenity and peacefulness. Like he wants the caves and his carvings to be a place of tranquility. He wants people to be at peace and with themselves. He says in an interview with CBS, if people could take anything away from his work he wants people to have a “moment in which they had a deeper feeling or

Being in a cave it can be dark and cold, but in the photo it shows a small beam of light coming from an opening in the ceiling that subtly opens up the cave and gives you what I think Ra has seen himself all along. The light brings the stillness and darkness of the cave alive while still being able to keep it peaceful. It illuminates all of the beautiful carvings Ra has so generously put together. The top of the cave is like a canopy or the leaves and branches of a tree. So under it, are the people gathered together. All of these elements, along with Ra’s work itself, convey the message of being together with one another. No wonder he named the cave “Tree of Human