Visionary Vibes: A Blog by Aberjhani

Regarding War in Ukraine: Glowing Wings of Freedom 2023 (art and poetry)

2/23/2023

(Image detail from mixed media painting by Aberjhani titled Glowing Wings of Freedom 2023. Full image may be viewed and purchased in art store on this site at Fine Art America/Pixels.com)

Glowing Wings of Freedom 2023 with and without text are the second and third mixed media painting editions of my 2017 artwork titled Glowing Bird of Midnight Love. The original work featured the following quote from the book Visions of A Skylark Dressed In Black.

“I see your wings are made
of many kingdoms,
nations, and stories
oh glowing bird of midnight love…”

The quote for the 2023 text edition comes from the book The River of Winged Dreams. As seen below, it is part of a poem titled “Angel of Hope’s Persistent Flight.” The poem was first written as a chain of haiku to commemorate Barack Obama’s historic election to the U.S. Presidency. It is shared with this 2023 creation to commemorate the first year anniversary of the people Ukraine’s valiant battle to remain an independent sovereign democratic nation.

The heartbreak of millions of refugees and the economic crises which have resulted from the conflict with Russia over the past year have impacted communities around the world. But none, where this particular war is concerned, have suffered more or fought harder to preserve the values of what we call “freedom” and “democracy” than Ukrainians themselves.

Angel of Hope’s Persistent Flight

1.
Wreaths of nuclear ash
decorate civilian hearts
with unresolved blood.

Greed, crowned emperor,
rules the earth with cold disdain
for harmony’s path.

War poisons the land
like diseased minds downloaded
into bowls of tears.

Chaos, loving none
so much as itself, slurps and
spits dead souls like bones.

What is belief now?
What is faith that will not die?
What news from heaven?

2.
In midnight’s orchard
roses blossom the secrets
that heal daylight’s wounds.

Beats of broken hearts
flow waves of revelation––
open gates to strength.

Cradled in scorched arms,
a soldier’s moon keeps its vows––
shines persistent hope.

This love that God is
curves in figure eights greater
than both time and space.

Death wins nothing here,
gnawing wings that amputate––
then spread, lift up, fly.

(from The River of Winged Dreams)

By Aberjhani
February 24, 2023
Author of Dreams of the Immortal City Savannah
Co-author of Encyclopedia of the Harlem Renaissance

More on Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russia’s war in Ukraine

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On Josephine Baker and the Politics of Educating Americans

1/23/2023

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"Josephine Baker and Chiquita Abstract Magenta" digital painting by Aberjhani. Now available for purchase at Pixels.com, Fine Art America, and here at Bright Skylark Literary Productions.

The article on Josephine Baker (1906-1975) for Encyclopedia of the Harlem Renaissance was written by Sandra L. West (1947-2019). Until working on the book project with her, my perception of the great diva had been shaped primarily by quick glimpses of classic black and white images of her dancing either nude or semi-nude.
She was to me a pretty, comical, innately sensuous, island girl with some vague connection to the United States and France. Research revealed and corrected the many layers of a misunderstood truth.

I began this post to draw attention to the above Josephine Baker tribute art series. Just as I was completing it, disturbing news arrived: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and the state’s Department of Education had rejected an Advanced Placement course addressing different aspects of African-American Studies. The rationale for doing so was that it paved the way for ideological indoctrination into the “Woke movement” as fueled by Critical Race Theory. That is something DeSantis has strongly opposed and stated the proposed AP African-American Studies course lacks educational value.

Dr. Lisa Hill, one of the authors of the program, said at its launch in September last year: “The course encourages students to examine each theme from a variety of perspectives, without ideology, in line with the field’s tradition of debates.” In short, the objective is to expand access to the kind of knowledge which impacts our understanding, or misunderstanding, of the demographically evolving world in which we live. It was the same goal that I and different contributors to Encyclopedia of the Harlem Renaissance had when completing it.

Perceptions and Realities

The intensity of DeSantis’ objection to progressive initiatives when it comes to racial factors have long puzzled many People of Color. Perception of the governor’s political strategy is not very different from how Justice Clarence Thomas’s unyielding conservatism is viewed among many Blacks. While it appears to make no sense within the context of their daily social reality, it stands up well enough as abstract legal conception.

A frequent assumption regarding DeSantis is that he is Latino and his interests should, therefore, automatically align with those he decries as woke ideologists. However, despite the smiling photograph of him on Hispanic culture pages, the governor’s publicized heritage is Italian––not Latinx––going back several generations. He clearly has found it more politically advantageous to let Americans assume whatever pleases them while presenting himself, more than anything else, simply as a committed conservative republican.

It would be fair enough at this point to ask what any of this has to do with my current celebration of Josephine Baker. The answer is pretty much: everything. Were it not for the social, political, and financial inequities and omissions which daily impair the lives of people belonging to different demographic groups in America, there would be no need for certain types of corrective considerations. As it is, levels of awareness concerning different cultural experiences directly influences the quality of all Americans’ lives.

Detail from "Josephine Baker Stardust Silhouette" art by Aberjhani. Now available for purchase here on Bright Skylark Literary Productions, on Pixels.com, and at Fine Art America.

What I knew and did not know about Josephine Baker’s story prior to studying it in depth for Encyclopedia of the Harlem Renaissance had caused me to consider her in much less regard than I should have. But it wasn’t the victorious Baker and other Harlem Renaissance greats who had lost out to all those years of unknowing. It was me and other misinformed individuals like me.

From New Art Series Product Page:

"Cheers went up around the world in 2021 when French officials announced American-born actress, singer, and World War II spy Josephine Baker would become the first Black woman to be inducted into the Parisian Panthéon. The announcement made me smile because Josephine Baker is one the historic figures celebrated in Encyclopedia of the Harlem Renaissance (this year 2023 is the 20th anniversary of the encyclopedia’s publication).

"The new 2023 edition prints of Baker featured in this series are mixed media and digitally textured interpretations of classic historical photographs and posters categorized as public domain. Some of the new prints are abstract expressionism, or surrealistic impressionism, and others enhanced antique sepia. Baker is widely celebrated during Women’s History Month, Black History Month, and in general as an iconic international entertainer. I sometimes think of her as America’s loss (due to the extreme Jim Crow racism practiced in the United States during her lifetime) and France’s gain."

Aberjhani
Creator of the Original Silk-Featherbrush Artstyle
Co-creator of Encyclopedia of the Harlem Renaissance

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2-for-2 Facebook Shares on Love and Laughter in Our COVID-19-Challenged World (part 2)

8/6/2020

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"Love is our most unifying & empowering common spiritual denominator" art graphic featuring quote by Aberjhani and visual art by Natasha Von Rosenschilde. (Shared on Facebook by The Power Within Us.)

The idea of Love as a valuable resource, or a powerful tool, is one some people find difficult to accept for various reasons. We can’t, after all, pay rent by smiling at landlords with hands over heart and then walking away, or purchase groceries by blowing a kiss to cashiers and waving goodbye. Nor can we hop on it like a bicycle and go riding through cities or the countryside.

Yet we know it has tremendous value if only because so many of the most famous names in history, whose teachings and life-examples influence billions to this day, have testified to its transformational and life-enriching power. Some have even died to prove the point. So we know these things but the “ways of the world,” to paraphrase lyrics by Earth Wind & Fire, cause us to lose sight of its proven potential and its potentially world-healing abundance.

The new long-anticipated literary memoir by Aberjhani, GREETING FLANNERY O’CONNOR AT THE BACK DOOR OF MY MIND, features insightful essays on: Flannery O’Connor, James Alan McPherson, John Berendt, Antiracism, and the COVID-19 pandemic. Includes cover art by the author and a throw-back photo album. ISBN 978-1-71668-481-4.

-Admittedly, Love itself as expressed in the context of romantic relationships, family connections, friendships, and other situations carries certain amounts of built-in stress and discomfort. Those, however, rarely prove greater than Love’s capacity to recognize and self-correct its own shortcomings. If allowed time to do so.

The #quotation used with the #art #graphic for this post is from my #book Journey through the Power of the Rainbow. Hopefully, it further reinforces the importance and effectiveness of a resource available worldwide during this time of the COVID19 pandemic crisis. The extremely fine visual art framing the words is by gifted visionary creative Natasha Von Rosenschilde.

To check out part 1 of this post PLEASE CLICK HERE.
To view it on Facebook please VISIT HERE.

About Aberjhani

In addition to being a long-time advocate for social justice and harmonious cooperation between diverse cultural groups, Aberjhani is a an award-winning author of history, poetry, fiction, and journalism. He is also the creator of the Silk-Featherbrush Artstyle.

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Confronting COVID-19 with Inspired Art and Determination (part 1)

4/10/2020

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Few things can rearrange the priorities of individuals or nations like a full-blown pandemic. Its impact is felt no less by cultural arts workers than by anyone else. In some cases it is felt even more keenly through creatives’ attempts to convert the overwhelming collective and personal shock to meaningful works in different disciplines.

Responding to events of an historic magnitude with visual and text creations has become very natural for me over the past couple of years so that is how my response to the COVID-19/Coronavirus pandemic of 2020 started. I’m stressing the word ‘started’ here because, like everyone else, I have had to adapt to the new social distance norms imposed by the crisis before I could begin converting the experience into a creative format. What resulting forms will look like in the weeks, months, and years to come remain to be seen. For right now, the new “Battle against the COVID-19 Curve” and “Angels of Music Revisited” artwork posted with commentaries on Fine Art American and Pixels.com represent the beginning of a series of creative counter-measures.

From the Postered Chromatics C19 Art Gallery

Spread of the coronavirus known as COVID-19 has become one of the most dominating forces, if not the single most dominating, in modern times. Populations around the world are confronting it in their own professional and creative ways to the best of their abilities. We see doctors, nurses, grocery store workers, and public transportation workers putting themselves at risk to help others. With famous singers streaming concerts from their living rooms and families gathered outside the homes of loved ones, standing several feet apart while singing them happy birthday or sharing wishes for a happy new married life together. The images in this gallery along with writings about the impact of the 2020 coronavirus pandemic are my way of standing in solidarity with humanity as we overcome the crisis.

Battle Against the COVID-19 Curve

The race to beat what scientists describe as the COVID-19 curve, meaning the highest likely impact levels of the 2020 coronavirus pandemic, began back in January after people in China had already suffered its deadly fury. The goal since then has been to reduce major devastation while the pandemic continued its death march across the globe.

We nevertheless have seen within individual cities, countries, and the international community, scenes which have been terrifyingly heartbreaking and others which have been amazingly inspiring. It is my hope that the Silk-Featherbrush painting titled THE BATTLE AGAINST THE COVID-19 CURVE, captures some of the mixture of extreme emotions and behaviors which have characterized our responses to the ordeal so far.

Inspired The orange-and-rust colored arch in the foreground of the image represents a visual metaphor symbolizing two things. One is the narrow window of opportunity countries outside of China had time-wise to prepare for the invasion of the virus. Secondly, it symbolizes an entry-point to a new collective reality which shows why embracing practices of co-existence and cooperation are much more beneficial to everyone than maintaining belief in conflicts and domination.

The surrounding surging colors are waves of a diverse but unified humanity moving persistently against whatever holds us back from being our best selves. The shadows of dark red in the background can be interpreted a number of ways. I like to think the overall image implies that somehow hope will emerge victorious.

NEXT: Confronting COVID-19 With Inspired Art Part 2: Return of the Angels of Music

Aberjhani
author of Dreams of the Immortal City Savannah
co-author of Encyclopedia of the Harlem Renaissance

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A Special Bright Skylark Black History Month Tradition Continues

2/27/2020

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Display of books and literary journals featuring writings by Aberjhani with an art poster for Dreams of the Immortal City Savannah in the center. (photo from Bright Skylark Literary Productions Collections)

Receiving feedback about content published on a cultural arts website like Bright Skylark Literary Productions is always a good thing so I appreciate visitors who have expressed disappointment over the lack of posts usually presented every February in celebration of Black History Month (officially ordained by the U.S. Government as African-American History Month). Sometimes we find ourselves too engaged in living the unfolding history of the present moment to address the exemplary achievements of the past. At least that’s how it has been with me lately.

As indicated in the previous post I am currently scheduled to give a lecture at the Flannery O’Connor Childhood Home in May. Presenting a lecture on such an iconic author, even when preparing to publish a book in conjunction with the same, is not something which can be done (not by me anyway) haphazardly. It has required extensive focus and tapping a few reserves of stored energy. Which is why I’m grateful that while I was concentrating on O’Connor’s work, folks at the WW Law Community Center Branch Library in Savannah, Georgia, were featuring a display of my book Dreams of the Immortal City Savannah along with a poster for it in honor of Black History Month. An administrator asked if I would be willing to take a few photos at the library. I agreed.

A Literary Photo-Op

To accomplish our shared mission, I went to the library (where I have conducted research many times) and took with me about a dozen books which I had either written, co-written, edited, or contributed to, plus just as many literary magazines containing writings by me. I had never assembled my various publications for photographing so was kind of stunned by the variety and quantity, from the slender first paperback edition of I Made My Boy Out of Poetry and early volumes of the Savannah Literary Journal, to shiny hardback copies of Encyclopedia of the Harlem Renaissance, ELEMENTAL The Power of Illuminated Love, and the Civil War Savannah Book Series. Included in the creative mix was a 1992 edition of the African American Review and a more recent poster rendition of the book cover for Dreams of the Immortal City Savannah.

This is the cover of a well-preserved copy of the 1992 edition of the African American Review featuring Harlem Renaissance artist William H. Johnson’s 1944 oil painting “Moon Over Harlem.” Inside in the review’s first poetry section is “Black Man Sitting on a Rock” by Aberjhani.

Even more amazing was realizing copies of ESSENCE Magazine and numerous other publications––not to mention online articles, essays, and blog posts––were not included in the display. If ever I felt tempted to criticize myself for not having done more (thus far) as an author, there before me was considerable evidence of a substantial effort. So having put it all together, the librarians took a number of photos, some of them showing me with the books and some of the books by themselves. The lighting was not the best for picture-taking but it turned out to be a good way to continue a very special Bright Skylark Black History Month tradition.

Aberjhani
© Harlem Renaissance Centennial 2020

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Regarding War in Ukraine: Glowing Wings of Freedom 2023 (art and poetry)

Angel of Hope’s Persistent Flight

By Aberjhani
February 24, 2023
Author of Dreams of the Immortal City Savannah
Co-author of Encyclopedia of the Harlem Renaissance

More on Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russia’s war in Ukraine

Contact Author-Artist Aberjhani at Bright Skylark Literary Productions

On Josephine Baker and the Politics of Educating Americans

Perceptions and Realities

From New Art Series Product Page:

Aberjhani
Creator of the Original Silk-Featherbrush Artstyle
Co-creator of Encyclopedia of the Harlem Renaissance

Contact Author-Artist Aberjhani at Bright Skylark Literary Productions

2-for-2 Facebook Shares on Love and Laughter in Our COVID-19-Challenged World (part 2)

About Aberjhani

Contact the Author-Artist

Confronting COVID-19 with Inspired Art and Determination (part 1)

From the Postered Chromatics C19 Art Gallery

Battle Against the COVID-19 Curve

A Special Bright Skylark Black History Month Tradition Continues

A Literary Photo-Op

Contact the Author

Aberjhani

Archives

Categories

Regarding War in Ukraine: Glowing Wings of Freedom 2023 (art and poetry)

Angel of Hope’s Persistent Flight

By AberjhaniFebruary 24, 2023Author of Dreams of the Immortal City SavannahCo-author of Encyclopedia of the Harlem Renaissance

More on Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russia’s war in Ukraine​

Contact Author-Artist Aberjhani at Bright Skylark Literary Productions

On Josephine Baker and the Politics of Educating Americans

Perceptions and Realities

From New Art Series Product Page:

AberjhaniCreator of the Original Silk-Featherbrush ArtstyleCo-creator of Encyclopedia of the Harlem Renaissance

Contact Author-Artist Aberjhani at Bright Skylark Literary Productions

2-for-2 Facebook Shares on Love and Laughter in Our COVID-19-Challenged World (part 2)

​About Aberjhani

Contact the Author-Artist

Confronting COVID-19 with Inspired Art and Determination (part 1)

From the Postered Chromatics C19 Art Gallery

Battle Against the COVID-19 Curve

A Special Bright Skylark Black History Month Tradition Continues

A Literary Photo-Op

Contact the Author

Aberjhani

Archives

Categories

By Aberjhani
February 24, 2023
Author of Dreams of the Immortal City Savannah
Co-author of Encyclopedia of the Harlem Renaissance

More on Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russia’s war in Ukraine

Aberjhani
Creator of the Original Silk-Featherbrush Artstyle
Co-creator of Encyclopedia of the Harlem Renaissance

About Aberjhani