Carpe Diem #1229 Yin & Yang

Dear Haijin, visitors and travelers,

Welcome at the first episode of a new month full of challenging prompts to inspire you to create Japanese poetry like haiku and tanka. As I do every month I have chosen a new theme for the prompts. This month we will explore modern art.

Modern art includes artistic work produced during the period extending roughly from the 1860s to the 1970s, and denotes the style and philosophy of the art produced during that era. The term is usually associated with art in which the traditions of the past have been thrown aside in a spirit of experimentation.

Isn't that we are doing with haiku? As I discovered haiku back in the eighties I wrote longer poems and stories, I used a lot of words to tell the stories and had the feeling that I said nothing. Than there was haiku ... a very short poem originating from Japan. As I started reading haiku, and for sure that wasn't easy, I immediately was caught. These short poems told a lot about a short moment in the life of the poet with maybe 10 to 15 words and those scenes were really awesome. If I had to describe that scene I would need for sure more than 15 words ... In other words ... haiku experiments with
words to tell a lot ... that is ... in my opinion modern art.

logo August 2017

The above logo is my choice for August and you can find this same modern art painting on the background of our Kai this month. It's an abstract oil painting on canvas produced by everfun.com visit their website and see what they have more (click on the caption under the above logo).

This month it's not only about haiku or tanka, but it is about modern art in all its different appearances.

Our first prompt for this month fits our haiku in a great way because of its spiritual meaning. Today I love to challenge you to create haiku inspired on a sculpture by Joel Shapses. He introduces himself to you:

Joel Shapses

As an Award winning sculptor my works are prominently displayed in private collections and public venues throughout North and South America. The more, avant garde statements that are made in the mixture of neon, led lights, metal, fused glass and stone media to elicit an excitement that occurs when the artist takes a quantum leap toward ingenuity. Whether realistic or abstract, the viewer's tactile senses are aroused with almost a sense of urgency to explore each form in greater depth than just visually. Born in New Jersey, Have spent most of my life on the Eastern coast of the U.S. Having an inherent artistic gift, I began sculpting in a primitive way at the age of five. Early on in my sculpting career, I worked under the same roof as famed sculptor Enzo Gallo. From a period of over the fifty years I have exhibited in many shows and has won over seventy awards and recognitions and have completed over six hundred works of art.

A wonderful artist I would say and it is one of his sculptures that is featured on our first day of August 2017. The sculpture is titled "Yin Yang" and that's our prompt for today. What does Yin Yang mean? Let me tell you that, but I think that the most of you know what it means.

Yin and Yang

Yin and Yang

Yin and yang is a complex, relational concept in Chinese culture that has developed over thousands of years. Briefly put, yin and yang represent the two opposite principles observed in nature.

Generally speaking, yin is characterized as feminine, still, dark, negative, and an inward energy. On the other hand, yang is characterized as masculine, energetic, hot, bright, positive, and an outward energy.

Yin and yang elements come in pairs, such as the moon and the sun, female and male, dark and bright, cold and hot, passive and active, and so on.

But it is important to note that yin and yang are not static or mutually exclusive terms. The nature of yin yang lies in the interchange and interplay of the two components. The alternation of day and night is such an example. While the world is composed of many different, sometimes opposing, forces, these forces still coexist and even complement each other. Sometimes, forces opposite in nature even rely on each other to exist. For example, there cannot be a shadow without light.

The balance of yin and yang is important. If yin is stronger, yang will be weaker, and vice versa. Yin and yang can interchange under certain conditions so they are usually not yin and yang alone. In other words, yin elements can contain certain parts of yang, and yang can have some components of yin.

It is believed that this balance of yin and yang exists in everything.

Yin and Yang ... a hidden part of haiku maybe, because we can see this balance, the existence of this balance, in all and everything ... and therefore also in haiku. Isn't that what haiku is? Haiku is about nature and humans as part of nature that brings the balance between humans and nature ...

Yin Yang by Joel Shapses

Well ... a lot to think about I would say ... so I will give you more time to respond instead of five (5) days you can now respond within seven (7) days. I am looking forward to this month because I love to bring modern art more to the attention of the world and maybe through CDHK's month August 2017 that will happen.

balance
black and white together
as one

© Chèvrefeuille

Not as strong as I had hoped, but it is a haiku in the modern way, because that's the other challenge this month try to create your haiku, tanka or other Japanese poetry form in a modern way as did for example Santoka Taneda. (See our promptlist for August 2017 above in the menu)

This episode is open for your submissions tonight at 7:00 PM (CET) and will remain open until August 7th at noon (CET). Have fun.