Blind Poet & Butterflies

These reflections on C. Douglas’ Blind Poets and Butterflies stem from his long-standing engagement with poetry and philosophy and his visceral commitment to painting. It is between poesis (making in the poetic sense) and philosophy (love of knowledge) that this body of work may reach consummation with the materiality of painting. Blindness for the poet is not a literal closure of vision, but a way of being, voluntarily chosen. The butterflies carry eyes on their wings to deter predators. The poet pretends blindness to ensure reverie.