This is the first submission the in category “#ArtInProtest. In this segment, an artist sends me an image of his protest, with a caption of his choice. I will then write poetry to accompany the piece. This way, we are protesting peacefully together. This time I am collaborating with Garry McMillan, a talented digital artist. Visit his Artist Portrait to learn more about his art and his perspective as a part of #ArtInCoexistence.
If our minds operated in organ systems your ego must be fattened and heavily weigh down your soul Your brain went into overdrive just needing one thing to reach just one hunger-driven goal
to constantly intoxicate yourself with the thought You are the greatest of all and therefore are destined to be seen as the mightiest of all and entitled to everything and more
Your immune system is specialised in fighting off any form of non-admiration No matter what word will enter your brain the message gets lost in neuro translation No devastation nor terror, not even disgust could make it through your body’s defences Not even the sick and the deaths on your account could make you look through different lenses
This time I would like to introduce you to Eva Maria Hunt, a very talented artist and a delight to work with! She has requested a specific assignment, preferably on love. This is how we came to collaborate on “Anatomy Of Love”. Hopefully, you’ll enjoy this piece as much as we’ve enjoyed creating it. You might recognize the poetry from my bundle “Seasoned Eyes Are Beaming”. I have revised it slightly because my perspective has changed.
There might be a hundred kinds of love And it’s more than just an emotion I can’t define it, though I’ve tried Love is very painful when it’s not replied
Love can be a teacher Love may push you off track Love is unconditional You cannot turn and take it back
There might be a hundred kinds of love And it’s more than just a state of being I can’t explain it, though I’ve tried Love isn’t over, once somebody has died.
Love can be a motive Love can form a shield Love is a two-edged weapon The scar remains a weak spot Even when the wound has healed.
To me, love used to travel one way I opened my heart, but then they’d run away
While my love is very loyal It has made me very strong Even in times of unreasonable hate Love’s watched over me all along The loveless road I’ve travelled It’s taught me to truly see If I want to be loved by anyone
Human Be Kind Now that we are confronted with this worldwide, tangible devastation Out in the open with our inequality living in total isolation, separated from our heart’s desires It makes me long back to When we all lived our lives the same Warming up to community campfires
Now that freedom itself is under attack, we’re confronted with what seems to be at a lack With what seems to be a faulty intention Can you feel it? The imperial tension If we want to save our civilisation We have to save the next generation From this immeasurable disrespect Towards many mothers, brothers and daughters.
Lives are at stake because of numbers Children are being disregarded Because they are a girl Because they are of color Because they were born In the “wrong” neighbourhood What happened to sharing Our collective success and growth? As humankind
This is the first post for the segment “Artist Portrait” in which I’d like to introduce you to a new perspective. This time I am collaborating with Garry Mcmillan, a very talented artist, located in the United States. We’re gonna talk about him, his art, what he’s rooting for and what he’s protesting against.
D I S C L A I M E R Interviews might get political sometimes. This does not mean I necessarily agree with every opinion I share on my platform. As long as someone’s opinion isn’t spreading hate towards any specific group of people, I am open to listening and sharing.
First, Art Galaxies ahead of you ” He is a young, beautiful, intelligent mind, and he has the drive and determination, he is respectful, creative, confident and when he reaches for the stars, he knows he will end up in galaxies far beyond a person could imagine. He is all those things, and even more, he just happens to have beautiful brown sugar skin and from African descent, and he is proud of that. That is one of the many things that makes him who he is, he will rise, and he will succeed! ”
Name: Garry Mcmillan Field: Digital Art Country: United States, Arkansas
How do you see your own artwork? “I definitely feel that I have my own unique quality to it, and I feel each piece that I put out is a representation of me and a piece of myself.”
Do you remember why you started making art? “My best friend of 20 years passing away is definitely a big factor. It [art] brought something in me to life that wasn’t there before. It has helped me through some really tough mental and emotional moments.”
We have collaborated on “Art In Protest | The Dissection Of Trump“, what do you think of Trump? Why do you think he acts like he does? “Honestly, think he is a disrespectful narcissist who has taken advantage of his white privilege and hasn’t ever had to deal with any consequences in life due to his horrible decision making.”
Are you afraid he might be chosen again?What do you think of politics in America? “Common sense tells me that he shouldn’t be re-elected but there is a part of me still trying to figure out how he got elected in the first place. So, i think he could be re-elected but I’m definitely hoping he is not. I think politics in america are a bunch of beautiful lies that are layered by cracks of corruption.”
Are there any protests in your area? How do you feel about it? “Yes, there have been BLM protests, and surprisingly my city of Hot Springs Arkansas has stayed positive, and the citizens have really showed up and stuck up for a problem that has been going on for over 400 years and longer, and really made it a big deal!”
Can you think of one big, and one small change Trump could make to be a better president? “A big and small change he could make is to resign from being president.”
What are you protesting against? “I am protesting against Donald Trump becoming president for another term. Not just Donald Trump, but [I am] also protesting against systemic racism and oppression. One big change is getting myself and everyone I know to the poles to vote.
One small change is to continue to inform people of how horrible of a person he really is, and the people he keeps around him. Not only to make this nation better but also make the world around us a better place to live peacefully together. Not only to have a better president for the U.S. but better dictators around the world.”
What are you rooting for? “I am rooting for equality for all people regardless of gender, race, sexual orientation, and religion. One big change is voting the right people into office that will fight for equality. One small change is that we keep protesting!
Also protesting with art, when I read what you were doing with this project it made me so interested in doing it! A lot of people have a lot to say with their gift of art and I think for some it’s just a way to speak out! Not only am I for equality in America, but for equality for the entire world!”
Thank you so much for sharing your perspective.
More of Garry’s art and their captions ” Her glow– Me finding my wife’s beauty as she was growing our youngest child inside her and everything that comes with growing a human being. ”
It’s been 7 days since launching S Y M B I O S I S | A Collective Art Project For Human Rights& Climate Awareness #ArtInCoexistence.
As you might have noticed, the website has gone through several changes throughout the week. The reason for this is that I never really thought this through, I just began this project out of the blue. While working on the original idea, more ideas popped up! More about these ideas later.
Artist Group A | The first group of supporting artists This week I received many reactions on my collaboration offer. Thank you so much for investing time in this idea! I have seen some amazing artworks this week and I can’t wait to introduce you to all of these wonderful artists and their perspectives.
We know we have at least one thing in common: we care about our planet and the wellbeing of the people walking it’s surface!
Later today, after updating the submissions so far, I will send out an email to all of you with further information on this project. In addition I will post a list with all the participating artists and their website/ portfolio/ socials.
Interview | Young journalists in Texas bring “Neglected Stories” to our attention Tomorrow evening will be a special night as I will be having my first (zoom) interview. For this story I will interview a group of young journalists who recently started their own website where they talk about social injustice, climate awareness and “underrated problems” in Dallas, Texas. This interview will be up on this site somewhere this week.
Reach by June 24 jovannahwrites.wordpress.com
#ArtInProtest | One big change, one small change While working on S Y M B I O S I S, I realised that I should not shy away from sharing the reasons why it is so hard for us to coexist at the moment.
A couple of weeks ago I saw a picture of 5.000+ people demonstrating in Amsterdam. It upset me because personally, I have had a hard time keeping up the spirits in social isolation. I had not kept up with my social media or the regular news and I wrongly assumed this was a protest against the corona rules.
Later that day I found out about what happened to George Floyd and I immediately understood why this protest was taking place. Virus or not, the fact that these terrible things are happening and are not an exception, is first priority. Disgust and disbelief were the first emotions that popped up, then came the anger, the sadness and disappointment in our social structures.
Fortunately, these emotions turned into a determination to do whatever I can to help. It is not much, but it is something.
After launching “Symbiosis” I realised that it’s very easy to just say “we need to coexist” and sketch this fairy-tale picture where we all live in peace and cover ourselves in flowers and cotton candy. This is not the full picture and I feel like I might be missing the point by not talking about why it is so hard for us to coexist. This is why I want to start collecting artwork in protest, but also ask people about what they feel needs to change. In segment #ArtInProtest I will collect ideas from people all over the world. I am asking for one thing you’re rooting for, and one big and one small change that needs to be made to make it happen. The other question is what “What are you protesting against?” and likewise one big and one small change. Feel free to fill in the form on my website to share your ideas! I might sometimes feature perspectives that are entirely opposite to mine, to begin with. Who knows? I might change my mind.
Do you have an idea of how to better coexist? Please fill in the form and let us know what we can do!
Thank you for your time. Hopefully you and your loved ones are safe and healthy.
Sincerely, Jovannah
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