MIEKE MARPLE

Two of Swords

The Two of Swords is the card of choices: a card perfectly suited for this moment. For now is a critical time to choose our Earth, our sanity, our humanity—or perish. The painting shown here is part of a larger "Tarot Reckoning" series I made in the Fall of 2020, six months into the pandemic as climate-change induced wildfires ravaged California. (One day there was so much ash that it blocked the sun.) The Two of Swords is covered with 24K gold leaf, similar to the Italian Visconti-Sforza tarot deck from 1451, the oldest known surviving tarot deck commissioned by, among others, the Duke of Milan. As a former art dealer, it is impossible for me to unsee the luxury commodity aspect of art. Yet, I do not believe that luxury commodities are inherently vapid, nor money inherently dirty. Both are tools that can be used for great healing, as well as great harm.
It's up to us as to what ends we use them towards. And isn't that the ultimate choice?