Elemental

*ELEMENTAL: The Power of Illuminated Love* is the product of two individuals’ combined creative and spiritual visions. It features some 64 paintings by celebrated artist Luther E. Vann with more than approximately 50 accompanying poems and two essays by award-winning author Aberjhani. The art, spanning the early 1970s to 2007, expresses Vann’s perception of spiritual principles active in the personal and pubic modern lives of people living in New York and Savannah, though the artist’s penetrating interpretations are universal and the subjects could in fact be residents of any given city or country.

Books that combine art and poetry are not especially unique in and of themselves but this one stands out for many reasons. One primary reason is because both Vann and Aberjhani are twenty-first century creative artist who have strong links to the Harlem Renaissance. Vann was actually taught by artists of the period and Aberjhani co-authored the original Encyclopedia of the Harlem Renaissance.

Introductory essays throughout the book, by Vann and several guest contributors, provide insightful commentaries on Vann’s life and art. The poems complement the art with themes that explore issues like war, homelessness, the nature of love, and expanded spiritual consciousness.