Earth Mantra 1977

Editor: This is Joe Tilson’s “Earth Mantra,” a mixed-media print. The repeated word "Earth" feels almost like an incantation. What do you see in the constant repetition of this word? Curator: The repetition certainly invokes a mantra, a concentration and focus. The word "Earth" is a powerful symbol. What feelings or concepts does it evoke for you? Editor: Connection, grounding, maybe even a sense of urgency. Curator: Precisely! The layering and repetition speak to the accumulation of memory, of generations tied to the land, perhaps also anxieties about its future. It is not only a label, it is also an image which carries emotional and cultural weight. Editor: I never thought about it that way. Thank you!