Each chain in Translations: chains of positive energy (c.o.p.e.) was started by someone offering a word/phrase/quote that describes a quality or mindset they have that allows them to move forward through these challenging times. The word was then sent to another artist to "translate" into their own modality. Once complete, that new artwork was sent to a different artist to translate into a different modality, and on and on, with each artist ONLY seeing the one translation immediately prior to their own. They artists did NOT see the reflections written by the previous artist, only the image of the work and the title. The reflections were revealed only when the chain was complete. The seven links in the completed chain are a nod to the seven days in each week that feel so long right now. Below is one complete chain - beginning with a word, and ending with a word, and translated through various art forms in between. Enjoy!
Link 1: Patience, submitted by Suzanne Hodes
Link 2: Hope Connects Us, watercolor submitted by Kim Welch
Artist Reflection: When hearts are separated by mountains and oceans, it is patience that helps me hold onto the hope of being together again.
Link 3: Afloat, music submitted by Rebecca Booth-Fox
Artist Reflection: When I looked at the beautiful watercolor, I saw pain and hope, which reminded me of the message behind most African American Spirituals. I remembered learning that 2 popular Spirituals can be sung together: Swing Low Sweet Chariot, and All Night All Day, so I put that music to different words, relevant to my experience in quarantine.
Link 4: Breaching, Choreography by Ilya Vidrin and Jessi Stegall; Filmed by Ilya Vidrin, Danced by Jessi Stegall.
Artist Reflection: In responding to the musical work 'Afloat,' I stuck with a theme of water. I created gestural movement -- using my hand to cover my face, as a nod to the darkness and uncertainty that the previous work speaks to. In the end, I am able to remove the hand, breaching through the water's surface, and rising to the sun.
Note: this is best viewed in tandem with the music link above. Click play on the music, then click play on the video.
Link 5: Clarity, poem submitted by Stephanie Sabins
Artist Reflection: I have to be honest, this was a struggle to write. I have felt very unmotivated to create during this pandemic and I appreciated the opportunity to participate and engage with this. For me, I feel like this poem was a good balance of responding to the lovely movements of Link 4, by being honest about what I really need right now.
Link 6: New Sight, digital illustration submitted by Avital Dayanim
Artist Reflection: I was drawn to the poem’s conception of sight in all of its complexity; internal vision, the vision we intentionally obscure, and novel ways of seeing. I became infatuated with the notion of “new eyes” located in “heart center”, and decided to relay this quite literally in my own illustration. I also tried to maintain the poem’s preoccupation with movement and “sway” through my own subject’s hair, blown back by the force of her very existence.
Link 7: Let your heart's sight guide you, submitted by Sophie Krentzman
Artist Reflection: I chose these words because the image to me evoked the feeling that now is the time to let our heart guide us into care and compassion for other human beings. It is time to let our hearts and common humanity connect us so we can support each other and heal.