888,246 hand-crafted ceramic poppies will be planted in the moat of the Tower of London. The work began this week, the 100th anniversary of Great Britain's and many Commonwealth countries' (including Canada and Newfoundland) entry into World War I, and will be completed on November 11. Each poppy represents a British or Colonial fatality in the war. The piece, entitled Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red was conceived by ceramicist Paul Cummins, with setting by stage designer Tom Piper. The Huffington Post has more photos. You can read about the project and see a video here.
I don't know what it is but the sight of those repeated forms literally takes my breath away. In this case it might be the fact that each of those stands for a life tragically cut short but I think it is more than that. I see our individual lives played out in the repetition. The accumulation of similar elements add up to a marvelous whole. That seems to me a statement of hope, not despair.
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