Bears in Art

"The bear is often associated with dreams. Because she sleeps for a significant part of the year the bear is always re-dreaming the world. Hibernation is the word often used in relation to bears, but bears actually do not hibernate because they do not produce the chemistry to stop or slow their bodies. Rather they dream. But going further, the bear searches for medicines and advised the ancients were to find the roots which can heal. In reality the bear is a highly dangerous animal and not a friend of man. Rather, the ancients saw that the bear’s danger was the greatest teacher about power. Thus the iconic image of the bear has haunted me and continues to intrigue me throughout time." – Don Voss