Witness

Artists reflect the times they live in, recording history: beautiful animals seen on a cave wall, political cartoons of Elon and Donald seen on a screen. Art has the special ability to communicate the essence of things and move us, sometimes to tears. It is magical how an image or graceful movement or a musical phrase can do that! Art captures essence - good, divine, comical, bad, ugly, horrific, sad, unreal. Each of us is a witness with a unique perspective. Writers crafting content today will capture how it feels to be living in the USA in the first months of 2025. Others will communicate their feelings years from now, when memory and time have warped or distilled or exaggerated or clarified the story.

I am not waiting. I am witness to the news and will communicate how I feel about it. I am afraid for the loss of our planet and for the loss of my sweet way of life which is being crushed by dark power. I have created an abstract conceptual piece that illustrates my experience of these times. It is fairly obvious! The dark and light areas are in strange shocking contrast to one another. Does this grab your attention? I’m hoping it makes you feel perplexed and uncomfortable.

The Center Cannot Hold, 52 X 29, all applique and quilting was done by hand

I have used wrinkled frayed dark fabrics to represent the horrible power of dictators, wanna-be dictators, malevolent selfish billionaires, apathetic citizens, and miss-guided cowardly politicians. Some fabrics resemble heavy stone. Other spots look like wounds. And what is being crushed?? Notice the beauty of the parts falling apart. The green and brown fabrics represent living things, blues represent oceans, pale geometric represents the connected order of things, and coral red represents love and common humanity. I am witness to what is happening in the USA and the world.

The title of this piece is taken from a poem by W.B. Yeats called the Second Coming. Here is the first half.

Turning and turning in the widening gyre
The falcon cannot hear the falconer;
Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold;
Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world,
The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere The ceremony of innocence is drowned; The best lack all conviction, while the worst are full of passionate intensity.

This poem is powerful. I especially appreciate “Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world” and “The best lack all conviction, while the worst are full of passionate intensity.” Sound familiar? I think that the best people are starting to get loud and passionate as well! Thank goodness. Here are some details of the art.

At the end of each blog I share a recipe or a suggested food combination. Vegetables and Legumes: In olive oil saute a colorful variety of vegetables such as red bell pepper, spinach, mushrooms, cabbage, eggplant, carrots, and summer squash. (At any given time I might have three or four of these vegetables. Use what you have.) Add some cooked beans and some Italian seasoning. Top with a little parmesan cheese. Easy, healthy and tasty!

Four New Pieces