Compass

This collaboration between New Jersey poet Mary Ladany and Sarasota visual artist Kate Hendrickson was completed in February 2021. 

Mary’s statement: My poem serves as the underpinnings or support for Kate’s image. It also holds out some information about how one might approach or read the image.

Kate’s statement: The imagery of the pastel and graphite drawing is based on our conversations, which finally focused on the words compass and direction. Discussion about the meanings of those words brought about a visualization for the composition. The Hebrew word for compass (mahts-PEHN) מצפן became the underlying structure from which the drawing began. From a straightforward perspective, the composition moves the viewer from West to North to East to South with wanderings to and from as well as in and out. The journey then becomes more important than any final destination.