New Publishing: In VALA 4 ‘War+Peace’, William Blake untangles complexity & our 2022 UK Defence Doctrine, Nov 2023, London, UK
Video of the VALA launch 29th November 2023. I am the third speaker and can be found at timeline: 49:56 in the video.
Click to download VALA Issue 4 , The Blake Society Journal, London, UK Publishing 28th November 2023 (William Blake’s birthday).
Launching tonight, after Rumyana Hristova (US) and David Worrall (UK) do their reflections, I'll talk about my 'deep dive' into Blake in my essay "A Field Manual for A Lost Soldier: William Blake's The Marriage of Heaven and Hell as a Course in Complexity". Also, how I re-read the 2022 UK Defence Doctrine & explore our Military’s attempt at creativity & imagination through their concept of "mission command" and other biblical myths hidden in our government policies. I also completed four canvas paintings. Hope you enjoy it.
I shared this "course" I did for myself really, as a way to help others with their creative thinking and to encourage them to read not just Blake, but to read poetry and reflect on the arts at this particular time of history. Please consider supporting The Blake Society which is a registered charity by becoming a member as the trustees do so much unpaid work, they truly deserve accolades for working simply for dedication to William Blake’s legacy.
I hope my visual essay appeals to people who don’t read Blake or poetry or look at paintings, and also to people from across the Asia-Pacific unfamiliar with Blake’s work and the long history of dissenting voices in England’s cultural, artistic and political history. The only AUKUS-specific of the four paintings is one titled “Spiders From Mars”.
Looking back from November to August this year when I finished it, I can see Blake’s hand in the way it unfolded, and a renewed focus on our collective ability to distinguish between good and evil, God & Satan in a world hurtling towards AI control, unsure what is real & unreal. Thank you so much to VALA’s editorial team and dedicated volunteer trustees at The Blake Society Sibylle, Jason and John. VALA is available as an open access PDF version and hard copy to members.
[Updated 7th April 2024]
"A Field Manual for A Lost Soldier:
William Blake's The Marriage of Heaven and Hell
as a Course in Complexity"
Words and images by Carl Gopalkrishnan
