A Message of Love, 92
Thoughts on Public Art and the Four of Swords
Public Art
In NYC this week with Chris, visiting my dad, step-mother and brother. Also one of my best friends, Joan.
On Tuesday, my 92 year old father Joe, Chris, and I went to Grand Central Station in search of the recently installed mosaic of Yayoi Kusama, 92, still working her art every day, and every night returning to her home of over forty years across the street, a psychiatric hospital in Matsumoto, Japan.
On the same corridor there is another mosaic by Kiki Smith
Later as I look across the river from Pier 26, a massive white Plensa rises up in Jersey City. Many consider the Plensa an eyesore, but I like public art. New York City is inarguably one of the major art centers of the world. You can pay hundreds of dollars to visit the Met, MOMA, the Guggenheim, the Whitney. These venues are amazing repositories of art, and if you play your cards right, there are free days each month. But I do love public art, art that is on the street, in the subway, available for everyone, all the time.
But public art ain’t free. It’s paid for by the public, for the public. A society which funds public art in theory and practice believes art is a benefit for everyone, and this is a radical idea, when we think of the multi-million dollar collections hidden away in peoples’ homes, for their eyes only, unless they choose to loan or donate to museum collections. The relationship between art and money is complicated, and not for this post today, other than an acknowledgement of the complexity, and a report on how much I loved seeing public art in the city this week.
Tarot Thoughts
Reentering after time away feels weird and new. What am I working on? Who needs what from me? Where do I need to catch up? How can I claim rest in the midst? Picking up Freya from a friend’s, taking her to the groomer, paying health insurance, getting this newsletter out, e mail, regular mail, visiting a sick friend, are the book stores ok, am I ok? Should I go to the gym? I’m too tired to go to the gym. I could go on.
But then I remember the Four of Swords. At first glance the card might appear a little morbid, daunting, an uh oh. But no, what this card reminds me, is that it is in just these times of reentry, of list upon list of what needs to be done, who needs me to do what, how can you be tired, you were just on vacation, that I get to rest. It is my mind, the sharp sword of the intellect with all its clutter, that can settle down and take it easy. IT IS OK TO REST. In fact, it is an imperative. My life looks different from the life of my NY family. I can land there and jump into the action, go, go, go. It is fun, there is a sense of having done a great deal in a day. But my flow at home in Seattle is a different pace. I have trained myself over the past few years to do nothing, to sit, to wait. In that space is where I feel creative and sound.
Offerings
April 16th at noon will be our paid subscriber tarot circle meeting. With the new moon on April 19th, we’ll do a new moon reading together. Think about intentions and goals for the next moon cycle and we will discuss and share the cards together. If you are not a paid subscriber, you can upgrade here:
As always, I usually have one or two open appointments per week for tarot readings and enneagram consults. Sign up on my website hannamcelroy.com.
xo Hanna
I always like getting this card--even though it looks less than relaxing. BTW, I will be unavailable again for the tarot group this month. I plan on being back for May!