LETTER

“All that is old is new again” 

Over the past years I have written my thoughts on these “Letter” pages. The time has come to give it closure, and what could be more appropriate than to do so by linking the present’s most talked-about and speculated issue – our climate emergency – to something written in 1988?   

I quote from a short essay written by my wife Danica Betakova (1945-2009), reviewing my own sculptural work, “ ... It is not a cliche to realize that we are entering a new era of civilization. Our concern with the global perspective of economy, ecology, environment, sociological climate, whether in America, Europe, or elsewhere, brings us closer to the realization of the obscure multiplicity of everything. More and more, we come to accept the idea that humanity is just a small part of a whole complex (though humanity is known to be aggressive, influential and expansive). With the progress of our civilization, we the human race have positioned ourselves in the role of custodians of the planet Earth. Therefore, we have to also take the responsibilities attached to such a position. The once-understood and -practiced theory that ‘what is good for us, is good for all’ is changing the ‘us’ into the whole entity.

“Rasto insists that the customary single point of view, with all collaboration based on it, is already presenting its deficiencies and may not be any longer feasible and justified in this stage of development of our civilization. By recognizing the existing multiplicity of all things we will adjust with our ingenuity of thought  . . . using, in part, Rasto’s artistic concept of Multiple Thought.”

Danica Betakova was an active partner and genuine sponsor of my research and development of my Multiple/Multilateral Sculpture, Thought and Understanding. This is a good reason to celebrate the tenth anniversary of her passing, a great Canadian-Slovak woman! She stood firm when it was most needed. And now events and history are proving her insight as valuable!

Rasto Hlavina, 

Pontiac