On the day Roe v. Wade was overturned in the U.S., I went to the Norton Simon
Museum where I came upon Aristide Maillol’s La Montagne: an immense statue of a
sitting woman with hair blowing in the wind. Struck initially by the monumental size of
the work, I was then attracted to the contrast between the statue’s angular features
against her windswept hair and concerned expression. Historically, it seemed to me
uncommon to relate a woman to a mountain—normally such a large and bold figure
would be given masculine characteristics. I saw this woman as being strong, capable,
and feminine all at once. Figuratively, I also pondered the number of mountains that
women and non-male identifying people have had to climb simply to access the most
basic rights. While it was painful to realize that each generation may have to fight the
same fights all over again, I was comforted by the trailblazers who have shown us what
can be achieved. Later that day, I found a poem by Rupi Kaur which summarized my
feelings about this experience:

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I stand
on the sacrifices
of one million women before me thinking
what can I do
to make this mountain taller
so the women after me
can see farther

To listen to the premiere of this work with the Sarasota Orchestra; Carlos Miguel Preito, conductor, click HERE

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