Elemental: The Power of Illuminated Love

by Aberjhani, Luther E. Vann, Steven High (Preface)

Elemental: The Power of Illuminated Love is a celebrated gift book by two acclaimed creative artists: painter Luther E. Vann, whose work was exhibited at the Telfair Museum Jepson Center for the Arts throughout Summer 2008 in Savannah, Georgia, and writer Aberjhani, co-author of the award-winning Encyclopedia of the Harlem Renaissance.

A perfect gift for graduations, father’s day, birthdays, and other occasions, ELEMENTAL: The Power of Illuminated Love contains more than 60 brilliant reproductions of Vann’s prize-winning work along with statements by the artist on his unique creative vision. In addition, the book also features introductory essays by Aberjhani and accompanying poetry, much of which has been showcased in ESSENCE Magazine and other publications.

For more on ELEMENTAL: The Power of Illuminated Love, please see Aberjhani’s Amazon Connect Author blog. You can also contact Soar Publishing at (803) 699-0633, or the Jepson Center for the Arts Gift Shop at (912) 790-8831.

Genres: Poetry, Art

140 pages, Hardcover Art and Poetry Gift Book

First published May 15, 2008

About the author

Long-time advocate of principles and programs associated with PEN American Center and the Academy of American Poets. My newest books are: These Black and Blue Red Zone Days, Greeting Flannery O'Connor at the Back Door of My Mind, and Dreams of the Immortal City Savannah. Other titles include: Songs from the Black Skylark zPed Music Player, Journey through the Power of the Rainbow Quotations from a Life Made Out of Poetry, Visions of a Skylark Dressed in Black; and THE RIVER OF WINGED DREAMS. In addition,the year 2018 marks the 10th anniversary of ELEMENTAL The Power of Illuminated Love with the artist Luther E. Vann.

My work as a visual artist can be found at: https://pixels.com/profiles/posteredc...

I'm currently working on several important projects, including a second edition of The American Poet Who Went Home Again. In addition, I have had the honor of serving as an editor for the Civil War Savannah Book Series published in commemoration of the 150th Anniversary of the American Civil War. The first title in the series is Savannah Immortal City published February 1, 2011; and the second is Brokers Bankers and Bay Lane Inside the Savannah Slave Trade.

I don't recall a time since adolescence when I have not been involved in a deep relationship with writing, reading, and other forms of creative expression, which is why I remained so deeply involved with Creative Thinkers International for many years.

In addition to the honor of being a Goodreads author, I'm an advocate of initiatives sponsored by PEN America, the American Academy of Poets, Authors on Google +, and other verb-oriented communities.

Prior to joining any of the above, I was born in Savannah, Georgia, eventually left to attend colleges around the country, and served in the U.S. Air Force for 8 years total.

I lucked out and got so furiously inspired in the course of producing some of my work that folks were kind enough to give me awards for it. These include the CONNECT SAVANNAH 2006 Readers Poll for Best Poet and Spoken Word Artist; the Choice Academic Title Award for "Encyclopedia of the Harlem Renaissance," (co-authored by Sandra L. West); the Thomas Jefferson Journalism Award; and the Freedom Foundation essay competition bronze medal.

The year 2007 marked my 10th publishing works in ESSENCE Magazine. I'm particularly happy about the fact that my "Encyclopedia of the Harlem Renaissance" was listed by Black Issues Book Review as one of its “essential reference books for the home library.”

Reviews

[Zinta · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have long, long been an Aberjhani fan. I came across his work many years ago online, as is more often now the case for many of us—to make our literary discoveries over the Internet. Yet how soothing, reassuring, to know that with all the changes and progressions and regressions of time and technology, some things hold true: art awakens and joins. No matter what the venue. Whatever our life experience, whatever our particular and individual view on the world around us, art illuminates and connects us. Art, one might argue, really is just the expression of love. Just as limitless, just as boundless, just as astounding.

And then this gift arrives, this grand and pleasingly heavy book. Unwrapping, I knew this would not be the kind of read that one zips through on a spare weekend hour. "Elemental: The Power of Illuminated Love" is the kind of book one places carefully on the coffee table, inviting visit after visit after visit, over time creating a bond. In some 140 pages, on thick, glossy paper that bring sensual pleasure in turning them for new discoveries, I found not only the expected poetry of Aberjhani, but also more than 60 vibrant art reproductions by artist, Luther E. Vann. Now, this was new to me. I relished the additional discovery. Even as I read the lush work of the poet, the corresponding reproductions reflected the words in yet another medium. The artist Vann works in paint that resembles colored fire—the kind that one knocks one’s head back to gaze upon in the night sky on Independence Day. Fireworks, nearly liquid fire, in every blazing color and few of them muted, but pure, in shivering and shimmering lines. On closer inspection, I learned the artist sometimes uses chopsticks to paint instead of conventional brushes. Ah, I thought, that explains it. I could envision the chopsticks dancing across the black canvas—for Vann’s work is always on a black canvas—and could imagine the sparks that traced their dancing path.

Both artists, the painter and the poet, are from Savannah, Georgia. Various essays in the book describe the meeting of the two, pleasingly drawing a circle at the conclusion. In the first meeting, Aberjhani writes his poetry to correspond with Vann’s art. By conclusion, Vann’s art comes to life in illustrating Aberjhani’s poetry. Art breeds art, life gives life. Vann has also spent time in New York City, and it seems his artwork reflects this, too: the beat and pulse of the great metropolis, the life that is born of the street, the milling of color as it blends and separates and blends again. His work is at times like neon on canvas, bright lights, and has, too, a dream quality, perhaps because of the ever present black background, reminding one of those mysterious dreams that haunt throughout the day. His paintings are often crowded with figures that intermingle and overlap, seem born of one another, yet remain distinctly alone.

Aberjhani is also known as author of "Encyclopedia of the Harlem Renaissance," "The Bridge of Silver Wings," and "The Wisdom of W.E.B. Dubois." He publishes often in various publications, print and online. His poetry has an intensely intimate courage, the sort we would all wish to have, but too often hold protectively back.

Muscles stretch from star to moon to heart,
shrink to a single comet; the sweet
heave-ho of flesh awakens to higher intention.
Pain like an over-efficient android
builds metallic agonies of nerve and thought.
Joy like a forty-day flood of acrylic roses.

The two artists are a perfect match, words as vibrant as image, image as emblazoned with fiery color as poetry. The occasional essay enlightens as to the inner workings of each, building anticipation for the pages ahead and beckoning return to the pages behind.

I once watched Time grow fat
then explode in my face
as if too much pain
or too much love had gathered too fast
into a single small space.

The Universe said, “Let me show
your soul something beautiful.”
And I then recalled two things:
the Disciple who loved his Teacher,
and the main reason I was born.
I watched Time disappear and tasted
upon my fingers the colors
of a vision still hot with truth.

I return to this book time after time, as one does to art—for inspiration, for a reminder of what is still hot with truth.

[Benjamin Bacon · Rating 5 out of 5]

It may because I helped in the production of this book, or it may be that Aberjhani and Luther are both two of the people that I admired most is this world. For any of these reasons I have to say that I absolutely love this book. As an assistant to Luther E. Vann, the artist whose works are featured in this book's pages, I saw the sweat that was poured into its pages. I know that it is filled with, hopes, dreams, and ambitions in the context of overcoming in the struggle that is imposed upon an unwilling race, who seeks unceasingly to be free from that struggle and empowered to rise above its oppressive presence. The thing that made that possible is Love, and they have it for their art and their community. Well done Aberjhani, and Luther the artist whose presence we miss so very much.