Simple Rangoli Design

A simple freehand rangoli is drawn with white rangoli. Then simply color dots(tiny heap of colored rangoli or color) are interlaced.

Appropriating Leopardi

Ryan McGinley

Without giving away too much about the circumstances in my life, I feel I am going through an exceptionally dark period.

How did I get to this place? I've asked myself this question many times.

I can only attribute my present situation to my personality. To me, the personality is the root of all our troubles (and joys). Maybe there were certain clues in my childhood and adolescence . . .

The only inspiration I can find right now is in the verses of one of my favorite poets, Leopardi. I tried to write my own poem today, but it didn't work out. So I began reading these poems which I've read a hundred times before . . .

Here is a poem I appropriated from a translation of Leopardi's poems. I took from five separate poems and created one poem. These verses speak directly to my experience. The translator is Eamon Grennan.

At first, I was going to add a couple lines of my own, but then I thought it would diminish the power and cohesiveness of the original verses. I altered some of the lines to make them work better with the whole piece.

Such black, black days
In so green a season!

And sorely
My heart is shaken at the thought
Of how everything in the world goes by
And leaves so little trace behind.

The work-day comes on, and time takes away
All we are and do.

And random suffering cancels all
Such raw, unripened knowledge.

Both of us, she said, were born to suffer:
Our lives lacked joy, and the heavens took
Pleasure in our pain.

For I’ve seen enough of wretched cities
Where hatred dogs unhappiness, and where
I live in misery and will, soon enough,
In misery die.

Even you,
Scorning calamities and crosses, smile
Only on those who lead happy lives.
In heaven, on earth, the lost ones
Can find neither friend nor refuge
Except in their own cold steel.

It was
That sweet unrepeatable season
When the sad stage of this world seems
To young eyes a paradise of smiles:
In its very first virgin flush of hope
A boy’s heart gallops with desire
As he, hapless poor creature that he is,
Plunges into the business of living
As if it were only a game or a dance.

Now
It is stormy weather I love plunging into
Along the crags and through deep valleys,
Seeing terror-stricken flocks in scattered flight,
Or hearing wave after wave go rushing over
Crumbled banks: the swollen torrent’s headlong roar.

But ah,
The gods and grim-lipped fate have given
Poor Sappho no part of this infinite beauty.
A tiresome wretched guest in this
Grand, indifferent domain.

What sin
Did I commit as a child—when one can know
No wrong at all—that my iron-dark thread of life,
Lacking all the summer colors of youth,
Lay twisted on fate’s implacable spindle? Reckless
Words fly from your mouth: A hidden purpose
Fashions whatever has to happen. Everything is hidden
Except our pain. We come, a forsaken race,
Crying into the world, and the gods
Keep their own counsel.

From his miser’s store
Of sweet blessings, God gave me nothing
Once my dream of youth and its illusions
Withered.

Escape into Life: Issue no. 17

ATMA

Escape into Life continually welcomes new writers onto our team. In this issue, you'll find an eloquent essay on Gauguin by Linnea West, whose art blog, Art Ravels, is a favorite among arts writers. You'll also find contributions from Lou Freshwater, somewhat of a haiku expert, and the German writer, Klaus-Dieter Knoll.

This issue we also introduce a new segment of Escape into Life, called "Arts and Culture Headlines." I wanted to bring together the most interesting art reviews and culture stories from newspapers, blogs, magazines, and art media sources.

Paul Gauguin and Savageness . . . . West explores Gauguin's "idealization of savageness" while giving us an intimate sense of his experiences in the Caribbean and later Polynesia. She intersperses primary materials into the essay, such as letters from Gauguin to his wife and friends.

The Art of Haiku . . . Everything you need to know about writing haiku. Freshwater's essay can serve as both an aid to composing haiku as well as an informed discussion of the Japanese art.

Poetry by Seann McCollum . . . . In McCollum's first poem, "The Twombly Equinox," the poet meditates on Cy Twombly's painting, Quattro Stagioni: Primavera.

The Process of Becoming Intimate: Interview with Danielle Duer . . . I don't believe we've published an interview as deeply touching as this one. Part of the reason for this is Klaus-Dieter Knoll's fond appreciation for the artist and his passion for her work.

New Segment on EIL:

Arts and Culture Headlines . . . I plan to run this every couple days. Culled from blogs, newspapers, magazines, and art media sites, bringing you the most interesting art headlines.

What is Escape into Life?

Escape into Life hosts over 700 contemporary artist profiles, and is also an online arts journal with contributions from nearly 25 different writers. Many of our contributors—ranging from well-known published authors, university professors, and freelance journalists—continue to publish art reviews and art history essays month after month. In addition, our poetry editor selects a new poet to feature in the journal every issue.

The Escape into Life digest comes out about twice monthly and you can subscribe at the top of the website, next to the search bar.

As an organization, we seek to promote the arts in all its forms. Our next milestone is to merge the thriving online publication with a viable online art store and auction.