Pastoral Relationship with People with Intellectual ... - Theses

54Michelangelo who was originally commissioned to create a series of figures toadorn the tomb of Pope Julius II. 93However, upon Michelangelo’s death in 1564, these figures remainedunfinished. And so I gaze upon these four figures which, in their unfinished state,generate a physical appearance and subsequent discourse far removed from theoriginal intention of their creator. Each figure displays a partial human formseemingly held captive within the inescapable confines of the crude, unshapedmarble. As art historian William Wallace indicates, “with the excess envelope ofmarble sheathing each of the unfinished statues, we see the figures “emerging”from the blocks, the figures in a titanic struggle to free themselves from the rawmaterial.” 94I too see figures, each in their own distinctive way, struggling to breakfree. And I feel a sense of futility and sadness, for these human figures, eachmuscular and striving, are restrained by an inescapable burden and are ultimatelydoomed to be forever contained by it.2.2.2.2 The Emerging Metaphorical VisionIn the years following my visit to the Galleria dell'Accademia the imagesof David and the Boboli Slaves stayed with me. Once I began as a chaplain topeople with intellectual disability living in institutions the images broke into myconsciousness with even more vigor. It was as if I was being compelled to drawparallels between these Renaissance figures and their circumstances, and the livesof the people with intellectual disability with whom I engage in pastoralrelationships.I reflect upon the juxtaposition between the confident, victorious and freeDavid, and the beleaguered and bound Slaves. I reflect upon why it is that Davidis richly admired by many whilst the Slaves receive relatively scant attention. Ireflect upon the contrasting emotions that each evokes in me as an onlooker. Iread the speculations of commentators as to the socio-political discoursepresented by the Slaves in their unfinished state. I wonder why it is that differentsocial commentators can label the same ‘slave’ with a different ascription, 95 thus93 Sala, Michelangelo, 170.94 Wallace, William. Michelangelo: The Complete Sculpture, Painting, Architecture. (NewYork: Beaux Arts Editions, 1998), 96.95 For example, one of the unfinished slaves is seen seemingly bearing a large, crude block ofmarble on his head. Sala refers to this figure as Atlas.