Dear Friends,

 

I need your vote. I have entered one of my Literary Calligraphy® watercolors in an international art competition, which will culminate in an exhibit in Berlin, Germany. Selection of artists for the project involves two stages – the first stage is a public vote, and artworks that receive the most votes and shares on social media (Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter) will be nominated for the final round of selection by a panel of international judges. Please vote for my artwork by using or creating an Instagram account in order to “like,” The Centre Cannot Hold; you can use this Instagram link.  After liking my artwork, please share with your friends on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. I realize this is a lot to ask, and I greatly appreciate your help.

 

The inspiration for my artwork is the opening stanza from a poem by William Butler Yeats: “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.”

 

The Berlin exhibit is entitled, Banality of Evil in Our Daily Lives, and the idea is that art can help break down the barriers that keep humans apart. My artwork reflects my belief that we humans have lost our balance, our centre, while the extremes of society create anarchy and chaos. The banality of evil, a term coined by philosopher Hanna Arendt, is that the best people lack conviction, while the worst sacrifice truth for the sake of selfish passion, bigotry, and fear. We are loosing touch with the natural world, our centre, and thus, the falcon “cannot hear the falconer.” My belief is in seeking consensus and collaboration and in finding our centre by reconnecting with the natural world. Balance is located in the centre, not at the extremes. 

 

Although Yeats wrote that “The falcon cannot hear the falconer,” falcons have exceptional powers of vision and can change direction rapidly. The falcon is watching, and is ready to change direction. When I began researching falcons, I soon realized that I needed to see a falcon eye to eye, which I accomplished by visiting a falconer in West Virginia several years ago.

 

You can learn more about the Berlin exhibition by visiting the boeart web page. Please vote for me here and share this information with your friends. Public voting is open now and will continue until March 15, 2020. Thank you for helping me with this project.

With warm regards,

Susan Loy

Literary Calligraphy

Order prints and stationery from our Amazon store.