The Power Of Love is a mixed media collage created in response to the posthumously published essay of Congressman John Lewis. In it, he reminds us that “democracy is not a state, but an act.” We are urged to “lay down the heavy burden of hate” and resort to love to foster good change in our society. While working, I was reminded of other icons from his generation, including Buddy Miles and Jimi Hendrix. The lyrics to Power Of Love and Lewis’ words played in my head as I create this collage.
This series was commenced in 2017, after reaching a low point in my art making. A long-distance conversation with my daughter, who has always pushed my envelope in so many positive ways, and her gift of assorted materials collected on her travels around the globe, led to the initial inspiration for this series.
Participation in residencies and programs with other disciplines, particularly poets and writers, led to another discovery … that I have a visual response to the written word. This prompt continues to enlighten and refine my art.