Thursday, January 30, 2020

Chiaroscuro


Jeremy Brooks

In 1994, nine months into a blossoming relationship with my future husband, I took my first trip down under to meet two of his greatest loves—his mother and his home country.

Garry Davies

Yengo National Park, after the 1994 bushfires.
Given the devastating fires in southeastern Australia, I’ve been thinking a lot about that trip lately. Aussies live in a sunburned country—they are well aware of the dangers and consequences. Bush fires, although savage and crippling, are an expected, natural occurrence... just not on this order of magnitude.

As part of my welcome package, Peter took me on a tour around the countryside of New South Wales—up the Central Coast, over to the Hunter Valley vineyards, and back down through Yengo National Park to the Blue Mountains. Yengo National Park had endured a major bush fire just six weeks before and it was striking to see such bright green new growth set against scorched, blackened trunks. (My photo doesn't do it justice!) Evidently, eucalyptus are perfectly suited for the harsh Australian climate because they carry buds deep beneath their bark to help them be more fire-resistant and re-sprout—proof that left to its own devices (and without too much human meddling), nature will find a way to regenerate and flourish! I only wish I had as much confidence in the resilience of humankind as I do in the resilience of eucalyptus trees.

A somewhat more surprising recollection from that drive through Yengo National Park was my introduction to the word chiaroscuro. (I have Peter to thank for that, as well.) Typically used in a visual art context, chiaroscuro is an Italian word that describes the interplay of light and shadow when light falls unevenly or from a particular direction.

Rembrandt: Christ Healing the Sick
Hernán Piñera
hthrd
Claudio Marinangeli

As Peter and I drove, wonderstruck, with the sun streaming down through that sylvan setting, the word took root and did not let go. Twenty-six years later, it's rising up from the shadows to be my One Little Word for 2020.

James Jardine

More than merely a stunning visual effect, for me, chiaroscuro reflects a Taoist sensibility—you can’t have light without darkness, good without bad, yin without yang. As I considered various words to accompany me on my personal journey this year, I wanted one that would recognize the way things are, but in a way that is quiet, balanced, and mindful. On Tuesday I shared a quote from Og Mandino that expresses this perspective beautifully: 

I will love the light for it shows me the way;
yet I will endure the darkness for it shows me the stars.

In the past, my chosen words have been more assertive, more goal-driven, but chiaroscuro is a word that I can look to for hope and inspiration without the pressure to do more than I can to change things that are out of my control. Now more than ever, life is complicated, divisive, difficult, sometimes downright incomprehensible. I'm not suggesting apathy or blind acceptance, but perhaps instead of casting blame, I can be more patient with myself and more open-minded with others. Can't we all? It's become too easy to react to daily life with criticism or combativeness rather than a deeper understanding that things are the way they are for a reason... usually more than one. And maybe if we look closely enough, we will find that, even in the darkest circumstances, there's something there to appreciate—a starting place, a moment of compassion, a poem.

Turning from watching
the moon, my comfortable old
shadow led me home.

– Shiki

Chechi Peinado



Join me next Friday for our first Spotlight ON interview and DMC challenge of 2020.







Many thanks to Jone Rush MacCulloch for hosting this week's Poetry Friday roundup at Deowriter.





31 comments:

  1. Michelle, what a beautiful reflection and a unique, meaningful OLW. I look forward to hearing about your journey with Chiaroscuro. Your thoughtfullness and intention inspire me. I look forward to the return of TLD. Thanks for bringing it back.

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    1. Thanks, Linda. I'm not sure if my journey will take me very far, but if chiaroscuro just reminds me to breathe now and again, that will be enough.

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  2. It's special to hear the deeply layered reasons for your choice of Chiaroscuro, Michelle. Shadow show us beauty too if we are patient in the looking. I kept your quote from Tuesday, words for the day to day!

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    1. Oh, that's nice to know Linda! I've collected quotes from you in the past (like the Sandburg "invisible keepsakes" quote) so it's nice to return the favor. :)

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  3. Thank you for your thoughtful post. Loved every bit! Chiaroscuro is a beautiful choice; I can well understand why you'd find it suitable for these times. Also enjoyed hearing about your time in NSW.

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    1. Thank you, Jama. I loved your thoughtful post this week too!

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  4. Michelle, without a doubt, this is a unique and beautiful word to call your own this year. It will guide you and share with you a path to find balance. Chiaroscuro has a lyrical tone to it so I am looking forward to having it break through the dissonance and turning your gaze to a life lit with light.

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    1. Turning my gaze to a life lit with light... I do like the sound of that, Carol. Thank you!

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  5. Michelle, this brought tears to my eyes.

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  6. I have long been fascinated with chiaroscuro; I just didn't have a word for it. I hope your year with this word leads you to find and to share the balance you reflect on here. I know I can change my approach to one of curiosity rather than defensiveness when encountering people throughout my day.

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    1. Curiosity is a great approach, Kay. Thanks for the suggestion.

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  7. Chiaroscuro is a wonderful word! I actually learned about it way back in college when I was a studio art minor...I worked primarily in pencil and I loved the play of light and dark I could create. I recall my professor telling us, "draw the light, and the image will reveal itself."

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    1. What wonderful advice! Sounds like an inspiring professor. And how interesting to find out you were a studio art minor, Matt! Your daughter is also talented in the visual arts, right? So I guess I shouldn't be surprised.

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  8. Very cool word, M.! I *love* the haiku you picked, too. All in all, a wonderful post. (b&w images I posted years and years ago: https://tabathayeatts.blogspot.com/2012/07/in-black-and-white.html)

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    1. Oooh, thanks for the link, T! Some great work there. I think "Miles" is my favorite.

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  9. A word that can have a different meaning to anyone who embraces it. Perfect.

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  10. I appreciate this word choice, Michelle. I don't know if you are of a religious nature, but in the tradition I follow, it is believed that the spirit speaks to us out of the meeting of the two sides of a division. As in, we need both the dark and the light to create an image. We try not to dismiss or dislike each other... we try to listen.

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    1. How interesting and inspiring, Karen. Thank you for sharing that with me.

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  11. What a lovely post. I enjoyed every word and every photo. Thanks!

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  12. I was first introduced to chiaroscuro from Kate DiCamillo in her character of Roscuro in The Tale of Despereaux, one of my favorite books of all time. Then my father helped me understand the artistic and theological meaning. I wrote a poem using the word and butchered the pronunciation in a reading of it.
    I love how you are using it as your one little word. I think it's just right for keeping your head and balancing life. I look forward to seeing more from you about this intriguing word.

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    1. And thank YOU, Margaret, because your comment led me to google how the word is actually pronounced. I had it wrong too!

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  13. Oh, I love that haiku by Shiki. Reminds me of the one by Basho that I took my gmail name from: Clouds come from time to time/giving us a chance to rest/from looking at the moon.

    Your chosen word will be a blessing all year long, I am sure!

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    1. Love that one too, Andromeda! Thanks so much for sharing it with me.

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  14. Chiaroscuro… a good choice with many avenues, as in the depths of darkness even the smallest amount of light might bring hope. Thanks for this thoughtful post Michelle, and sharing your olw with us. I blogged about my last week, it's breathe– and shares a kinship with your olw.

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    1. "Breathe" was in the running for me too! Miranda chose "flow" for this year and I like that one as well. Will be over to check out your posts (this week and last week) shortly.

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  15. What a perfect...and unique word for the year.

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  16. Chiaroscuro is a perfect word for our times. Thank you for this thoughtful meditation on its meaning. I'm also happy to see that resilient eucalyptus. It gives me hope!

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  17. chiaroscuro...indeed a great word for an OLW!. I love this post in so many ways. chiaroscuro is one of my favorite words.

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  18. Thanks for the introduction to the word chiaroscuro, Michelle. I hope to keep it in mind as I move through our challenging world and apply more compassion in my daily life.

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