On this page of the Epilogue we have Tolstoy philosophizing about what causes history. Is it the will of great kings and queens? Or is it the popular will of the masses that makes history happen? Is it divine or is it spontaneous uprising? Is it predetermined or is it chance?
For quite some time I was collecting scrap pieces of paper and mementos, like cards from our recent NYC exhibit trip, and thinking, thinking, thinking how could I express my emotions about such a heavy page of Tolstoy?
Here Tolstoy writes in circles about changing historical landscapes.. so I started thinking about nature, colors, swirling, and... then it hit me... GUM WRAPPERS!
I would like to thank my artsy daughter, Natalie Carney Johnson, for this perfectly inspired collage. She and her friends in Atlanta make elaborate collages themselves with the gum wrapper foil from Wrigley's 5 Gum. Each flavor has its own foil color -- and coincidentally, they all have stunning landscape hues -- blues, greens, golds, blacks. The foil simply peels right off the wax paper and even leaves a sticky residue so no glue needed -- perfect for collage! I gave Natalie the page of Tolstoy’s text, and in 2 hours she gave me her vision of history rolling through time…all in gum wrappers.
Thank you Natalie Carney Johnson!
Thank you Wrigley's! And thank you Tolstoy!! -- Christiane
Natalie Carney Johnson
from page 719-720, volume 2 of original text
collage made 3/10/12
Pevear/Volokhonsky translation page 2012-2013
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