When Shelley Carter envisioned a community art project inspired by the history of tarot cards, she stacked the deck with 65 local artists of various mediums.
On Sept. 13, when the Elora Tarot Project exhibition opens at the Wellington County Museum, the cards will be shuffled and the hand that is dealt will surely be in her favour.
“There was magic at work when the community got together and created something extraordinary,” Carter said, opening the gift box that holds 78 artist-designed tarot cards.
She admits that at first, the idea “seemed daunting.”
The concept came to Carter in 2011 after taking a tarot-inspired tour through Italy and France in 2011, to visit the birthplace of the tarot. She met enthusiasts who had created their own tarot card decks.
Returning home to a community renowned for its artistic culture, she broached the concept with several artist friends.
“I figured artists would get behind it,” Carter said.
And they did. Artists from Fergus, Belwood, Ariss, Mount Forest, Alma, Guelph and Elora got involved in a variety of mediums that included photography, painting (in various styles from abstract to water colour), drawing, glass works, graphic design, pottery, charcoal, encaustic and sculpture.
“There were artists involved but also a few people who were flirting with the arts,” said Carter, welcoming the idea of bringing together renowned artists and new artists, giving the project a diverse, creative flair.
“Rider-Waite-Smith is the most popular tarot in the world and the one we based our deck on,” Carter confirmed.
Given a year-long deadline and a sample card from the 1909 Rider-Waite-Smith tarot deck, each artist was given a brief description of the tarot card assigned to them. To ground the project, Carter hosted information meetings, offering a history of tarot.
“By all evidence, we believe tarot was developed in the early 1400s in northern Italy,” Carter explained. “Card games had been introduced to Europe by Arab traders.”
She noted the original cards had four suited decks, until a fifth suit was created, which was used to play a particular card game with trick taking, similar to bridge or euchre.
“The fifth suit became the trump suit. It is the Major Arcana,” Carter said.
Dispelling the myth that tarot was founded in the occult, Carter explains, “It was not invented for the purposes of fortune telling at all. It was simply a card game.”
Originally, card games were for the aristocracy, Carter said. Around the 1500s, with reproduction capabilities, the cards were available to common people.
“The novelty of having playing cards was seductive,” Carter said, noting the card games often led to gambling. “That’s when the church got worried, because people were gambling.”
She continued, “In the mid-1700s in Europe, some occultists co-opted tarot as a spiritual study.
“People often think of tarot as associated with the Gypsies, but it is not. It had a movement in the occult and spirituality around the turn of the century. The next movement was around the New Age movement in the ‘60s and ‘70s, as part of the spirituality, self-exploration … and as an art form, and it’s really continued like that to this day.”
She added, “Now there is a significant movement to correct the history. There is quite a community of tarot historians working to make it more accurate.
“The fortune telling is really not central to today. It’s not the main focus. It’s more the self-exploration, problem solving, an opportunity for reflection … but there are uncanny synchronicities that aren’t able to be explained,” Carter said, of a tarot reading.
Each Elora Tarot Project artist was asked to create an art piece that met the 18-inch by 30-inch dimensions, which were then photographed by Sylvia Galbraith, of Belwood. Graphic artist Julie Denneny, of Elora, put the images into layout for what would become the final deck of cards.
Initially, Carter hoped to have 22 cards created, representing the Major Arcana, which includes: the Magician, High Priestess, Empress, Emperor, the Hierophant, the Lovers, Chariot, Strength, the Hermit, Wheel of Fortune, Justice, the Hanged Man, Death, Temperance, the Devil, Tower, Star, the Moon, the Sun, Judgment, the World and the Fool.
But word got out in the artist community, and the project took off.
“People just started speaking for the cards,” Carter said, which encouraged her to expand the project to include the court cards (king, queen, knight and jack) and the aces. “Artists spoke for these really quickly too.”
With only 36 pip cards remaining to build a full tarot deck, Carter put another call out to artists – and again, the response was overwhelmingly supportive, with some creating as many as three tarot cards.
Fine artist Kreso Cavlovic was one of them. He chose to create a visual image for the Magician, Five of Swords and the Judgment cards.
“And if there was another one, I would have done that too,” Cavlovic said. “It’s quite an honour for me.”
He enjoyed the challenge of the project, noting there were many thought processes at play for the Magician card.
“The Magician card for me is the all-powerful,” Cavlovic explained. He added his painting offers “all the iconic symbols for the tarot.”
For the Judgment card (above right), Cavlovic included the imagery of a dove blowing a horn, as a representation of the resurrection of humanity.
“The dove is a higher, more divine spirit signifying the angel blowing the horn to waken the dead,” he said.
The Five of Swords card (which Cavlovic is posing with, left) is not usually considered a positive card to draw during a tarot reading, so Cavlovic took creative license with this painting.
“I always put a positive light on my art,” he said, of his depiction. “There is a sun, a bright light that you can always look towards.”
Admitting he was not well versed in the history of the practice of tarot, Cavlovic insists he was always fascinated by it and similar practices tied to his Croatian heritage, but the real intrigue for the professional artist was the community incentive behind the project.
“I was fascinated when Shelley told me about the project, but the most incredible thing to me is the amalgamation of the artists in the area, coming together as an artist community,” Cavlovic said, noting the art work included young talent, mid-career and professional artists, as well as those new to art.
“To me, that’s the beauty of this project and it wouldn’t be possible without Shelley and her gift of bringing people together.”
Tim Murton, a renowned local artist, was handed the Devil card (above left), which he completed using charcoal and white acrylic.
“Once I got the devil inside me, there was just no stopping me,” Murton said with a grin. “The card represents the ties that bind you. They don’t actually hold you down. You’re free to leave at any time. The devil is right ole git … he doesn’t care if you get into trouble, it’s just entertainment for him.”
For Murton also, the fun was in the collaboration of the project.
“I loved it. It’s very important to have something for the artists to rally around,” Murton said. “Shelley is one of the few who could get the artists together all rowing in the same direction.”
Of particular significance for the local artist community was the loss of two respected artists, Marilyn Koop and Riki Weiland, both of whom passed away after courageous battles with cancer during the progress of the Elora Tarot Project. Both will be honoured with memoriam cards in the deck.
Carter notes that she could not have accomplished the project without the support of the many volunteers who offered time, space for meetings, editorial skills, etc.
Another champion of the project, whose legacy helped Carter’s vision become a reality, was the late Rhoda Lipton, a patron of the arts and board member of the Centre Wellington Community Foundation.
“Rhoda Lipton loved to support the local artists. She was totally supportive and encouraged me to apply for one of the foundation mini-grants,” Carter said, noting her project was awarded a grant from the Cedarcliff Fund.
“One of my greatest sadnesses is that Rhoda won’t be here in body to see the finished, because she would love it.”
Of the artists, Carter said, “The artists took the time to formulate the meaning of their cards. They’ve clearly put their hearts and souls into this.”
Acknowledging the funding support of the local firm ECOH Inc., co-owned by her partner Mark Lai, Carter said, “It is no light undertaking to publish a tarot deck.”
Four thousand tarot decks were printed locally. Of them, 3,500 are regular decks retailing for $45, and 500 limited-edition decks, many autographed by the artists, will be specialty-wrapped for $125, available at the Sept. 13 opening. The decks will later be available for sale at a few local retailers.
A portion of the proceeds will be given to the Centre Wellington Community Foundation.
“This became a project that was not just about the tarot, not just about the art, but also a big part of the community … people helping one another with the pieces, some stretching themselves artistically,” Carter said.
“I’ve just had the best results.”
The Elora Tarot Project will be launched Sept. 13 at 7pm at the Wellington County Museum. The display runs until Nov. 3.
For more information visit www.eloratarot.com.
