Evil is unspectacular and always human

And shares our bed and eats at our own table.

W. H. Auden, “The Normalcy of Evil”

Prayer for the Protection of All Beings is in the form of a confession. Am I capable of committing evil acts if pushed hard enough, or if tempted with enough? Have I really been tested? I haven’t been the victim of serious violence or of a life-altering disaster, but I have on occasion been scared out of my wits. Sometimes I’ve been surprised at my composure  - other times, not so thrilled with my own panic-driven thoughts and behavior. What might change about my place in the world if I recognize my capacities for good and for bad behavior?

The face presented in each piece is one that I have used before. Intended as a portrait of my own psyche, these beings also represent everyone in what I think of as my tribe. The head flaps may represent the differences that we think separate us from other people. I also find them funny and I enjoy painting/drawing this being.

The quality that accompanies each image has been assigned randomly and can be used with any other drawing.

The soaps have been solicited and donated and have cleaned the bodies of people from various walks of life - artist, teacher, student, politician, conservative, liberal, felon, lawyer, child, homeless, priest, police officer, celebrity and so forth. It is impossible to distinguish the priest’s soap from the felon’s, the homeowner’s from the homeless’. I am moved by the collaborative component of the soaps. To me, they are gorgeous objects, deeply personal and offered – sometimes anonymously - with sincerity and a willingness to participate in this prayer. And soaps have the capacity to clean themselves.

After this exhibition has run its course, soaps that are useable will be donated to the Glory Hole, a Juneau homeless shelter.

--Jane Terzis