Sunday 17 February 2008

Abstract Challenge 08 Jan - Dolls & Feb - Poem

January: the challenge - 'dolls'
My quilt represents the earliest type of drawing preschool children make of people, called a tadpole. It consists of a circle with a face and at least two lines coming out of it, sometimes four. The circle may represent the head and body combined, where the lines are arms and/or legs. A question in child development asks - why do children first draw pictures this way?
A common explanation for the ubiquitous tadpole stage is that children are merely trying to symbolize a person and do not put a premium on realism. A more perceptual explanation: when children look down at their bodies, they see their arms coming from their head. Reference: Standford child developement.February: the challenge - poem This little quilt is based on 'God Bless the Grass' written by Malvina Reynolds and sung by Pete Seeger. Both were folk singers and involved in social change. (Malvina also wrote, 'Little Boxes'.)

God bless the grass that grows through the crack.
They roll the concrete over it to try and keep it back.
The concrete gets tired of what it has to do,
It breaks and it buckles and the grass grows thru,
And God bless the grass.
God bless the truth that fights toward the sun,
They roll the lies over it and think that it is done
It moves through the ground and reaches for the air,
And after a while it is growing everywhere,
And God bless the grass.
God bless the grass that breaks through cement,
It's green and its tender and it's easily bent,
But after a while it lifts up its head,
For the grass is living and the stone is dead.
And God bless the grass.
God bless the grass that's gentle and low
Its roots they are deep and its will is to grow.
And God bless the truth, the friend of the poor,
And the wild grass growing at the poor man's door,
And God bless the grass.

I love this image: Man places artificial boundaries on a plant that is millions of years old. And ... which will survive in the end?

2 comments:

Digitalgran said...

I have really enjoyed my visit to your blog Vivienne, your wonderful work and also the photos which reminded me of a visit to the area with my husband's male voice choir some years ago.

Margaret said...

Great post! I love the song and the idea that goes with it. And I never really realized that children's earliest drawings are "tadpoles", but it's true!

Have a great week,
Margaret