Poet, Paolo Totaro AM has Parkinson’s disease. He is the Trembling Man. Juliet Holmes à Court and Ruth Levine are artists.
Together they work to entwine their three art forms; poems, paintings and objects, to tell of Paolo’s memories, created by war and love and of memories fast being destroyed by the disease.
This exhibition explores and stores these memories in three different art forms to create a perfect ‘circularity’ with twelve poems. Lifting the words off the page into painted and sculptured art forms that interweave and grow in dimension and interpretation.
What Drives Your Commitment to find a cure for Parkinson’s?
As other neurological progressive diseases, Parkinson has devastating effects. It is changing me as it changes many millions of people world-wide. Research is advancing but no cure has as yet been found. But there are new threads appearing in several centres of research around the world, including Australia. Research needs to accelerate.
Why Shake It Up Australia?
Government funded research in Australia needs to be complemented by non-government funds to build the strongest possible foundation for research discovery.
There is much goodwill in Australia at the national and state levels. Shake It Up raises funds in ways that seem best to guarantee that they are intelligently directed and spent.
Tell us what you are doing to Shake Things Up?
Several practical things, including the use of my poetry for raising awareness:
A poem of mine, Trembling Man, published in Quadrant (2015) has been used to good effect in public readings as well as inspiring our upcoming event ‘Trembling Man Two Artist’s and a Poet – Poetry Reading and Exhibition’ at the Royal Botanical Garden Sydney’. My poetry has been the trigger, for artists Juliet Holmes à Court and Ruth Levine, to tell the story of having Parkinson’s as part of one man’s life. It has been a rewarding, challenging venture and despite fears, people may have that life stops after diagnosis.
Greatest Reward?
Meeting bright, courageous minds with a disease in the brain and being reminded, through them, of what makes life worth living and fighting for.
