NARRATOR:  

At first glance, this piece by Terry Fox might seem a little mysterious. One stool has been balanced on the legs of another. Look closely, though, and you’ll see that there are two other elements here. The first is a piece of paper, suspended between the stools. Look more closely. The diagram on it represents a maze imbedded in the floor of Chartres Cathedral, in France. This spiral pattern of paving stones was of great symbolic importance during the medieval era, when the cathedral was built. It also has great personal meaning for Fox. 

LAWRENCE RINDER:  

It was a symbol for the spiritual path—a path towards salvation and spiritual awakening. And Terry Fox adopted this symbol, the symbol of the labyrinth, as a metaphor for his own path towards physical wholeness and spiritual awakening. 

NARRATOR:  

Lawrence Rinder, Director of the Berkeley Art Museum. The spiral pattern from Chartres Cathedral features in several works by Fox, known as the Labyrinth Series. Again, Lawrence Rinder: 

RINDER:  

For the eleven years prior to making this body of work, Terry Fox suffered from Hodgkin’s Disease and was in and out of the hospital, year in and year out. The creation of the Labyrinth Series from 1972–78 was in many ways a response to his personal physical sufferings and was also meant to evoke his spiritual quest that came out of those physical sufferings.  

NARRATOR:  

Don’t miss the second piece of paper that’s part of this work. It’s on the wall nearby. This text explains, in Fox’s own terms, the relationship between the physical structure of Chartres Cathedral and this piece.