A box full of darkness - from Alicia Starr

[Marie Wintzer]

This is my first mail from Alicia, a wonderful surprise. The flower on the envelope seems to have lost a few of its fragile petals. I always like when things don't arrive exactly the way they left, bearing the marks of a long trip, or "travel wrinkles".

I have to say I was completely awed by this piece, and the way Alicia worked around this quote by Mary Oliver, "Someone I loved once gave me a box full of darkness. It took me years to understand that this too, was a gift". Very powerful words. Jut like it took the author years to figure out this peculiar present, it is not something for us to understand with a single read. I have been googling here and there and found a blog entry that I quite liked, http://beccasbyline.wordpress.com/2006/09/26/a-box-full-of-darkness/, check it out if you have a minute.
I really like the way Alicia crafted her piece like a box that one can open. Maybe one of those very old, heavy boxes made of marble? If you dare open you might get swallowed by a whole world of darkness. But you are welcome, that hand it telling you there is nothing to fear. A fantastic photo, IMHO. Are you jumping in?
Alicia, this work is so impressive, I hope many people come by and see it. Thank you so much for sending!

[De Villo Sloan]

Wow, a stunning piece & very MinXus. Even the box of darkness seems like a CB concept, a box of holes or something - so interesting that something abstract like that is attributed to Mary Oliver. Illuminating blog, as ever.