John Donne wrote “No man is an island“.  And of course, no woman is either.  We come into the world needing other human beings to survive and very often, we go out the same way.  All throughout our lives, we are seeking, finding, nurturing relationships.  Madison, WI artist Amanda Blake’s work explores these connections, both the ones we choose and the ones into which we are born.

When we are very young, our parents and siblings supply most of our relational needs, along with the ocassional imaginary friend.  As we mature, we begin to seek more and more outside our tiny familial sphere to find friendship among others, some very much like us, others very different.  Eventually, most of us begin looking about for a partner, someone to share our lives with.

For some like me, this journey takes longer than we anticipate.  But it is during this time that all of those other relationships are nurtured the most.  We spend our time bonding with friends over adventures and over shared memories with siblings.

Eventually, we may perhaps find the other half of our pair.  Once we do, we’ll take everything that we learned while cultivating those other relationships to care for this one.  And the cycle begins again.

To see more of Amanda Blake’s work, please visit her website.

Artist found via The Jealous Curator.  All images are via the artist’s website.