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

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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 

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

 

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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.

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Please click twice on the image to enlarge.

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

You are not forgotten.

Your RISE is the dawn of amazing GRACE.

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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