Early in the morning on 29 August 29 2005: Hurricane Katrina struck the Gulf Coast of the United States + “Pine Tree: HOPE 2005” Catherine L. Johnson + Allen Toussaint’s “The Bright Mississippi”

   Pine Tree: HOPE                                                                  Catherine L. Johnson  2005X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

In commemoration of Hurricane Katrina.

Ten years ago,

the devastating impact/decision making of our American government

revealed to the world 

 the existence of  our raw systemic/structural injustices of race and poverty,

and,

the American delta city of New Orleans,

renown for its heart; charm; fleur-de-lis and creative genius,

was the irreversible graphic image/evidence of this irrefutable fact.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Katrina 

X

X

X

X

X

Early in the morning on August 29, 2005,

Hurricane Katrina struck the Gulf Coast of the United States.

When the storm made landfall, it had a Category 3 rating on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale

it brought sustained winds of 100–140 miles per hour

–and stretched some 400 miles across.

X

X

X

X

X

New Orleans,

in turn,

showed the world the meaning of

resilience

and

the spiraling life force

of

what it means to prevail

no matter the tempest

like the pine tree.

X

X

X

X

X

The healing and restoration is still a clarion, a spiraling force, moving forward

as a mighty river, a heal/thy artery that fuels the  body & soul.

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

In the week following

the physical/psychic horror and inhumanity,

I created the Pine Tree: HOPE series

as a luminous prayer for/to

hold up to the light

the survivors in that time of deafening despair + terror.  

The work calls out Martin Buber’s distinction between

the I-Thou relationship

and

the I-It relationship.

The sacred Thou in all.

No we v. the other.

The practice of the Golden Rule which is empathy.

X

X

X

The first

Pine Tree: HOPE 2005

 was exhibited at

Holly Hunt, Minneapolis,

from September- December 2005.

Christine Hartman,

 General Manager of Holly Hunt, Minneapolis,

selected the work for the showroom.

 

X

X

X

X

X

X

The Pine Tree: HOPE  2005 (above) will on exhibit at

INSTINCT ART GALLERY,

http://www.instinctmpls.com/

21 November- 15 January 2016,

in the EMPATHY exhibition.

X

X

X

Please click twice on the image to enlarge.

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

Blessings to all who prevailed and who endured profound losses and grief.

You are not forgotten.

Your RISE is the dawn of amazing GRACE.

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X

X

X

X

X

X

X

Allen Toussaint – The Bright Mississippi 

 

Allen Toussaint – piano and vocal
Don Byron – clarinet
Nicholas Payton – trumpet
Marc Ribot – acoustic guitar
David Piltch – upright bass
Jay Bellerose – drums and percussion
Brad Mehldau – piano
Joshua Redman – tenor saxophone

Read Full Post »

28 AUGUST 2015 + HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY BELOVED BROTHER + YOU HAVE THE STRENGTH/THE LIFE FORCE /TO RE-DIRECT/ IDENTIFY/ MOVE TOWARD JOY!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY BELOVED BROTHER BLAKE!

X

X

 

X

X
BEAUTIFUL BOUNTIFUL BLESSINGS FOR A BRIGHT NEW YEAR!

X

X

YOU HAVE THE STRENGTH/THE LIFE FORCE /TO RE-DIRECT/ IDENTIFY/ MOVE / TOWARD JOY!

X

X

X

 

X

I LOVE YOU.

ALWAYS.

X

X

YOUR SISTER CATHERINE

X

28 AUGUST 2015

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X 

Read Full Post »

KAYAK + KINNICKINNIC RIVER = THRILLING x SUBLIME x BLISS! + 20 AUGUST 2015 + KINNICKINNIC RIVER RAPIDS HAIR REVERB

KAYAK + KINNICKINNIC RIVER = THRILLING x SUBLIME x BLISS! + 20 AUGUST 2015

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

“The soul should always stand ajar,

ready to welcome the ecstatic experience.”

Emily Dickinson

X

X

X

X

X

X

 

KAYAK + KINNICKINNIC RIVER + WOWRAPIDS + GDM = THRILLING +HAHAHAHAHA

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

KAYAK + KINNICKINNIC RIVER=WOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOWRAPIDS

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

THE KINNICKINNIC RIVER RAPIDS HAIR REVERB

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

 

THANK YOU GDM!

NAME: PARADISE + AN ECSTATIC EXPERIENCE- KAYAKING THE KINNICKINNIC RIVER WITH YOU!

http://www.riverguidekayaks.com/    http://www.riverguidekayaks.com/trips/

 

Read Full Post »

HALO: CIRCLE 2007 + CATHERINE L. JOHNSON + “EMPATHY” EXHIBITION @ INSTINCT ART GALLERY: 21 NOVEMBER 2015 – 15 JANUARY 2016

X

X

X

X

HALO: Circle                                                                                   Catherine L. Johnson  2007

 

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

For further information:

http://www.mnartists.org/artwork/halo-circle-series-2007-0

http://www.instinctmpls.com/

X

The two HALO: Circle 2007 pieces were installed between

three PRIVATE RHYTMN works: inset image.

I created a  visual “mash-up” of 15 years of work

for my  PRIVATE RHYTMN exhibition

at the Calvin Charles Gallery, Scottsdale,

January 2009-February 2010.

X

X

Please click twice on the image to enlarge.

X

X

X

X

X

Read Full Post »

CHARLES LLOYD + DOROTHY DARR + CATHERINE L. JOHNSON + 30 JUNE 2015 + LOWELL PICKETT’S “LIVING ROOM” aka THE DAKOTA!

Dorothy Darr + Charles Lloyd + Catherine L. Johnson, me!,

in the Dakota’s Green Room

@ Lowell Pickett’s “Living Room” (affectionately named by Charles) aka The Dakota.

X

X

X

X

X

Michele Jansen, dear friend and station manager of KBEM/88.5 FM

and my dear brother/vascular surgeon were with me the first night!

The next night was shared with  friends Peter, visual artist, and Lars-Eric Larson, drummer

– their FIRST experience/witnessing of  Charles’ sonics as traveling white light.

 

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

Define kindness.

Dorothy + Charles.

Define the warmth of an open heart.

Dorothy + Charles.

Define the delight of being with dear individuals that define the majesty, song and sweetness of humanity.

Dorothy + Charles

Define the visceral and palpable love/intimacy between two lovers whose internal oceans create a hymn.

Dorothy + Charles.

Define gratitude, amazing grace, affinity, resonance and a blue moon of  the synergistic sublime.

When I first experienced + met Charles and Master Billy Higgins at Lowell’s former “living room” waaaay over a decade ago.

And, then I met the remarkable + ethereal  Dorothy.

https://catherineljohnson.wordpress.com/2013/10/03/catherine-l-johnson-joy-sacred-birds-charles-lloydbilly-higgins-free-birds-free/

https://catherineljohnson.wordpress.com/2011/09/14/monsters-of-subtlety-and-oceans-of-the-heart-charles-lloyd-and-billy-higgins/ 

 

X

X

X

X

X

Define the  translation of sacred, sublime beauty.

Charles Lloyd’s sonics.

Define an adventure, a flight through a night sky and the luminosity of  morning’s dawn.

Charles Lloyd’s sonics.

Define the continuous  rushing waters of an unseen river.

Charles  Lloyd’s  sonics.

Define breathing the fragrance  of a communion of beauty that is both a wilderness and a child’s wonder.

Charles Lloyd’s sonics.

Define the healing  balm of art and my choice of sonics in the OR.

Charles Lloyd’s sonics.

Define the capacity to intuit the creative genius of other musicians,

and when performing together calls out the divinity within each musician.

Charles Lloyd’s ensemble of astounding musicians.

X

https://catherineljohnson.wordpress.com/2015/06/16/i-breathe-it-is-the-way-i-breathe-charles-lloyd-interviews-ornette-coleman-interview/

https://catherineljohnson.wordpress.com/2015/03/22/charles-lloyd-charles-lloyd-new-quartet-jason-moranreuben-rogerseric-harland-village-vanguard-15-march-2015-radical-empathy-nyt-nate-chinen-charles-lloyd-nea-jazz-master-charle/

https://catherineljohnson.wordpress.com/2014/09/24/fyi-improvisation-the-automatic-message-instinct-art-gallery-charles-lloydbilly-higgins/

https://catherineljohnson.wordpress.com/2013/03/14/charles-lloyd-75th-birthday15-march-the-ides-of-march-2013-music-is-a-healing-force-temple-of-dendur-the-met-jason-moraneric-harlandreuben-rogers-gr8-joy/

https://catherineljohnson.wordpress.com/2013/03/13/the-dakota-11-march-2013-charles-lloyd-with-eric-harland-reuben-rogers-the-sky-trio-and-special-guest-gerald-clayton-pure-music-no-boxes-revelations/

https://catherineljohnson.wordpress.com/2012/01/07/sonic-artists-create-music-not-music-boxes/

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

My offering to Charles and Dorothy: an original painting  HEAVENINMYMOUTH  2012

http://www.mnartists.org/artwork/heaveninmymouth-0

 

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

Charles’ presence was further heightened by the poignant presence of  the first light hurricane lamp of civil rights activist,

Julian Bond, with his wife Pam.

It was beautiful to have the radiant presence of these two revolutionary souls, two men, at once,

-constellations of breaking through to new vistas of symphonic harmonics of humanity,

together-one on stage and the other receiving.

Both messengers of the beyond and spiraling toward.

Lowell as the conduit.

I spoke to Julian Bond and he reminisced knowing my relatives Harris and Clare ( Emmy Lou) Wofford.

Harris worked closely with the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., as his civil rights attorney.

Mr. Bond told me to continue to press forward with my work- which many times addresses social justice issues.

 

https://catherineljohnson.wordpress.com/2015/03/09/selma-bloody-sunday-50th-anniversary-2015-rev-dr-martin-luther-king-jr-s-speech-how-long-not-long-harris-wofford-what-i-saw-at-selma-today-my-dear-friends-presence-as-a-fami/

X

X

X

Julian Bond 

Former N.A.A.C.P. Chairman and Civil Rights Leader

14 January 1940 – 15 August 2015

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/08/17/us/julian-bond-former-naacp-chairman-and-civil-rights-leader-dies-at-75.html?_r=0

http://www.freep.com/story/news/columnists/rochelle-riley/2015/08/16/julian-bond-legacy-new-leaders-stepping/31817851/

http://www.ajc.com/news/news/local-govt-politics/reactions-to-bonds-passing-come-from-region-nation/nnLCf/

X

X

X

X

Thank you to Andrea Canter, Jazz Police photographer, to capture our reunion without a flash!

We beamed any way!

 

 

 

Read Full Post »