Saturday, March 12, 2011

Questions of scale

As I had been obsessed with dwelling in ‘a room of my own’ in a safe and sleepy - sometimes absurdly happy, boring bubble,  Japan was dealing with the largest earthquake in its history and the fifth largest in the last one hundred years of the world - plus an explosion from a damaged nuclear plant. I heard that a wall of sea water, perhaps 10 metres high,  was traveling at 600 km an hour. So little time to think, to escape,  no time really, to execute one’s getaway.
Dealing with grief on a small personal scale -  dealing with grief on a gargantuan scale almost beyond the limits of  imagination - it's overwhelming really, incomprehensible  – we must help one another. 


in Dundas, rooms in an old 150 year old house 
12"x12" oil on canvas board

6 comments:

  1. Dear Marcia,

    All grief is personal. The horrific images
    of that wave pulling along that whole town and
    turning it over, like an omelette in a pan,
    is a personal story to each person affected. I feel with you, shocked into sadness for every single person. And I wish we would all quit believing in the "clean" energy of nuclear power. Now three reactors are failing. The town will rebuild, but the nuclear waste affects the planet. There was an inane article in the Globe today talking about the public's irrational fear of green goop. No. The public needs to be aware that the danger is radioactive pollution and waste that has a lethal half life of 150,000 years. We are morons as a people in some ways. Not a cheering thought. The poor people in Japan. Your painting however is glorious. Sorry for running on.

    XOBarbara

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  2. Marcia, you are so right, we must help one another! I am also so shocked and sad about all the poor people who lost everything. The earth seemed to devour complete cities with all life. It seems to be very surreal. Why must all these people die?

    I am always pleased to see your new work! This one is very poetic and expressive like always. Best wishes for you!

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  3. Marcia,
    I'm sorry that you have had a personal loss, but I am so glad you still came last weekend. Large or small, our lives are forever affected by these tragedies which are out of our control.

    Your painting today is soft, calm and comforting.

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  4. Dear Barbara

    Thank you for your impassioned response. I like it when you run on, I give you carte blanche – I always appreciate your perceptions and strong opinions - reassuring!
    Yes – a tsunami of grief and black thoughts – it comes in waves. It’s bitterly ironical that Japan has such a heavy reliance on nuclear power. Their country doesn’t have an abundance of waterfalls the way we do and they no longer want pollution from burning coal. Any thoughts on low ionizing radiation? Plenty of that over here.

    love, Marcia

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  5. Kathrin, it is obvious isn’t it, that the only way to survive is to help one another.

    I know what you mean by surreal - I wish it were surreal but it’s not. I don’t think surrealiam has ever had the punch that realism has. Your English is so impressive – do you know the expression ‘reality bites’?!
    Thankyou for your comment and wishing you the best!
    Marcia

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  6. Nicki
    Yes you’re right, very wise, well said – out of our control, – thank you for saying that! A stoic position can be very useful - Epictetus? Marcus Aurelius?
    Saying it again, it was a great, great pleasure meeting you last week end!
    You do Saskatchewan proud!!!
    Marcia

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