Of Earth and Sky

Of Earth And Sky 2.0: SPACE
What does SPACE mean to you, Charlotte?

Stroll through various Charlotte locations and enjoy the words, thoughts, and memories of local poets.

Of Earth and Sky alludes to the expanse of the universe (and perhaps now, even the multiverse)–but at its core, it connotes space–which can be defined in innumerable ways. 

Space can reference intergalactic exploration–through analog means or through inquiry that is aided by contemporary technology. 

Space can also signal the need for boundaries (e.g. Robert Frost’s reminder that “fences make good neighbors” or even as described in song–Ariana Grande’s “NASA”) or the space afforded by resistance (like Langston Hughes’ declaration:  “this is my space / I am not movin” from “The Sweet Flypaper of Life”).

At the same time, “creating space” can be an interior action that allows individual creativity to flourish. Poet Audre Lorde speaks of finding “a dark place within, where hidden and growing our true spirit rises… These places of possibility within ourselves are dark because they are ancient and hidden; they have survived and grown strong through that darkness. Within these deep places, each one of us holds an incredible reserve of creativity and power, of unexamined and unrecorded emotion and feeling."

Of Earth and Sky is a large-scale poetry installation by artist LUKE JERRAM, that was first commissioned by the GLOUCESTER CULTURE TRUST in 2020. Poetry and text created by Charlotte poets through workshops and online submissions are curated and installed across dozens of sites throughout Charlotte, forming a temporary sculpture trail for the public to discover. Whilst the landscape affects the interpretation of the text, the text animates and influences the interpretation of the landscape.