February has arrived, and with it all the romance (and frequent commercialisation- although in this day and age, what special holiday or day isn’t a commercial opportunity first? In the UK it only took many stores to open on Boxing Day – the day after Christmas Day if you’re not familiar with the term – for customers to find shelves stocked with love hearts, Valentine’s chocolate selections – and, worse, Easter eggs, fluffy Easter bunnies and Easter bears) of Valentine’s Day.
Fortunately, there are many who are here to offer more fulfilling celebrations of love, romance and Valentine’s Day, including Cica Ghost, who offers a light, fun and engaging view of the month of romance with Oh My Heart.
Filled with semi-anthropomorphic hearts, cuddly bears and rabbits, lovable elephants and a Queen of Hearts who is most definitely not of the “Off with their heads!” type. All are gathered within a landscape filled with giant green flowers, looping vines and areas of red-and-black chequerboard patterns, complete tower and wall of red-and-black cubes with blocky rocky upthrusts.
The red heart characters stand on booted feet and appear to be without a care in the world. Their houses are also heart-shaped, whilst the bears and rabbits cuddle red hearts or offer heart symbols to passing visitors. Meanwhile, the Queen of Hearts presides over all from the height of her fairy tale castle up on a mesa reached by stone steps. Black hearts offer dances throughout and sit-points – some obvious, others perhaps not so obvious, so be sure to mouseover! – are also scattered about, this is another light and delightful setting for anyone to enjoy, whether a romantic or not.
The setting comes with a quote from humourist, playwright, poet and author Alan Alexander Milne. It was two tomes of his verses – When We Were Very Young (1924) and Now We Are Six (1927) – through which he found his literary métier: writing for children. Thus came the two volumes for which he is perhaps most famous: Winnie the Pooh (1926) and The House at Pooh Corner (1928). Whilst ostensibly written for children, notably his son, Christopher Robin Milne, these two works are rich in observations about human behaviour, gentle truths on how to behave and what in life to treasure. It is from the latter that Cica has chosen her quote:
Sometimes the smallest things take up the most room in your heart.
– A.A. Milne, Winnie the Pooh
There is a marvellous depth of truth and meaning in this single sentence; so much so that likely it means something different to many of us. Given this, I’m not about to churn out a litany of interpretations. You can do that for yourself both before and after visiting Oh My Heart. What I will say is that I felt especially drawn to this installation because of the quote: Milne is an author I try to read once every 12-18 months (at least the Winnie the Pooh books). I simply love Milne’s kindness and insights.
So, why not go an enjoy Oh My Heart, and then, if you’ve never read the Milne’s two volumes of Winnie the Pooh’s adventures with his friends in the Hundred Acre Wood, or haven’t read them in a while / as an adult, I urge you to consider doing so as well.
SLurl Details
- Oh My Heart (Mysterious Isle, rated Moderate)
Inara Pey: Living in a Modemworld 