Art: Optical Delusions by Gavin Mayhew
HAPPY PLANET
Our orb, unsolitary yet singular, orbits and tilts
amid the cosmos’ coruscating spectacle,
a turbid backdrop of coiled galaxies
and phantasmal nebulae concealing answers
to queries unfathomable.
Any species of life thriving on elsewheres,
even if anthropoid, would remain nonhuman;
phylogenesis is complex to the point
of inimitability, and the globe’s pole-to-pole
grin evinces an unmistakable awareness of such
and much satisfaction thereby derived.
Neighboring giants, gaseous and ringed, cannot but
envy their undersized sibling, apple of the sublime eye.
A monad world, Earth revels in its sui generis status,
basking in the sunlight of renown.
About the author:
Brandon Marlon is a writer from Ottawa, Canada. He received his B.A. in Drama & English from the University of Toronto and his M.A. in English from the University of Victoria. His poetry was awarded the Harry Hoyt Lacey Prize in Poetry (Fall 2015), and his writing has been published in 200+ publications in 27 countries. www.brandonmarlon.
Art: Optical Delusions by Gavin Mayhew
In the artist’s words:
This painting is a brief history of the 20th century including a composite of my art during this time. It is painted in mixed media including water colour; acrylics; coloured pencil and fine liner.
I have exhibited my art internationally including Germany, USA, Belgium, UK and have worked on collaborative projects with other artists, dancers, and photographers throughout Europe. Much of my work focuses on the complexities of the human condition as shown through surreal expressions of people and sculptures, illustrating such emotions as love, hate, greed, wonder, sadness, self awareness etc, and usually with a story to tell.