#78: the poet speaks of art
Artwork: Portrait of Auguste Renoir by Albert André
Before a Painting by James Weldon Johnson
I knew not who had wrought with skill so fine
What I beheld; nor by what laws of art
He had created life and love and heart
On canvas, from mere color, curve and line.
Silent I stood and made no move or sign;
Not with the crowd, but reverently apart;
Nor felt the power my rooted limbs to start,
But mutely gazed upon that face divine.
And over me the sense of beauty fell,
As music over a raptured listener to
The deep-voiced organ breathing out a hymn;
Or as on one who kneels, his beads to tell,
There falls the aureate glory filtered through
The windows in some old cathedral dim.
Other poems I read this week:
The Gulf of Marseilles Seen from L’Estaque by Paul Cézanne
"In the foreground we see time and life
swept in a race
toward the left hand side of the picture
where shore meets shore.
But that meeting place
isn't represented;
it doesn't occur on the canvas." -from Cézanne's Ports by Allen Ginsberg
"The stream runs clear to its stones;
the fish swim in sharp outline.
Girl, turn your face for me to draw.
Tomorrow, if we should drift apart,
I shall find you by this picture." -The Painting by John Balaban
"Forgotten between the leaves of an old book-
almost a hundred years old-
I found an unsigned watercolour.
It must have been the work of a powerful artist.
Its title: 'Representation of Love'.
'...love of extreme sensualists' would have been more to
the point."
-from In an Old Book by Constantine Cavafy
"Not my best side, I'm afraid.
The artist didn't give me a chance to
Pose properly, and as you can see,
Poor chap, he had this obsession with
Triangles, so he left off two of my
Feet."
-from Not my Best Side by U. A. Fanthorpe
Recommended Listening:
Berea College Bluegrass Ensemble Performs Carol of the Bells
On Being: Life Beyond the Mind - Eckhart Tolle Right On Tracks (A series of songs about kindness, empathy and inclusion) St. Vulgar St. - Twin Peaks Generative.FM
Links of the Week:
Math GIFs + Raising Kids Who Love Math — Even If You Don't
How Faber-Castell makes its pencils
The Fascinating Physics of Jackson Pollock’s Drip Paintings
Lynda Barry’s Illustrated Syllabus for her Making Comics course
Interactive Museum Exhibit Lets You Step Inside Edward Hopper’s Iconic Painting
Poet and Painter Rebecca Hey’s Illustrations for the World’s First Encyclopedia of Trees
An electric guitar made from 1,200 colored pencils
9 Artists on How to Make a Living From Your Art
iPhone paintings by David Hockney of the changing seasons outside his window at home
The Artist Who Survived Three Concentration Camps and Captured Her Trauma in Art
via Let's Talk About Mental Health
Instagram Lovin':
Let's Talk About Mental Health (Jessica Walsh FTW)
Dillon Marsh (such gorgeous linocuts!)
I've been processing some personal stuff of late, and doodling a lot more of late as a form of self-expression. I can feel tingles of healing every time I let go of my inhibitions, and pick up the pencil. Can't say I know too much about art therapy, but I certainly felt compelled to curate a special newsletter on art.
Happy reading/exploring! :) Also, feel free to forward this mail to someone who would enjoy it!
Last thing: We need more artists participating in #100DaysOfProtest organised by Students for Justice + #OurPlanetWeek. I'm attempting both at @ro.doodles. Do let me know if you're doing it too.
Take care. Stay creative!
Rohini