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There
are, undoubtedly, as many interpretations of Modern Haiga as
there are people who create them. As in many of the art and poetry
genres
today, there is no clear “path to the waterfall,” as
Raymond Carver wrote. The blending of art and haiku is an ancient
one, steeped in tradition and the expression of Eastern cultural
sensitivities. Modern, 21st Century haiga has taken this form
and is in the throes of reshaping it to fit the global community's
sense of experimentation and innovation.
It
is not the purpose of this introduction to pass judgment on previous
definitions of Modern Haiga or to presume to
write the
definitive interpretation of what it “should” be or
which path is the best.
What
I hope to convey, in general terms, is my general philosophy of
what Modern Haiga is and what the guidelines for submission
are.
I
encourage the freedom of artistic expression. I understand it
as evolution, a new seed, different but just as fertile
as the original mother tree. I hope to see in the coming
year fresh new
images in every genre-- photography, brush art, computer
art, and any combination thereof. It needs to be married
to a well
formed
haiku or other short poem. The image should enhance the
haiku , allow the reader to “read between the lines” and
gain a deeper insight into the haiku, which should not simply
describe
the image. This is key, in my view. The blend of haiku
and image must be a delicate, thoughtful blending, a juxtaposition
that allows
the reader to have a deeper understanding of what the haiga
is.
Having
said that, I will be looking for that indefinable connection
between Modern experimentation and the Essence
of traditional Eastern
philosophy: simplicity, minimalism in artistic attitude, and
a graciousness that the Western culture could do well
to emulate.
All
submissions must go through the SH submission process and a biography
and photo will be expected if the submission
is
accepted. Although I’m holding the door open to innovative
Modern Haiga, I intend to set the artistic and poetic bar high.
I
encourage comments, suggestions and hope to have an ongoing dialog
with those who would like to share their ideas and
knowledge about Modern Haiga.
~ Jerry
Dreesen
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