Island artist Donald Cole’s latest work is a vibrant synthesis of a lifetime of cultural immersion, exploring the motion and emotion of travel, the body and the passage of time.

The collection “Motion/Emotion” began with the artist’s determination to take stock of his 45 year career and destroy unsuccessful works. What resulted was a deep exploration of his experiences, reflection of a life dedicated to travel and painting and a new series of cutting, remixing paintings and collage.

His work inspired poet John Levy to write a series of poems in response to Cole’s art. The collaboration resulted in a new book, “Float Among What Sails and Spirals,” which Cole and Levy will present at an event sponsored by Vashon Center for the Arts (VCA) at 7 p.m. in the Green Room at VCA.

Levy will read selected poems written about drawings and paintings by Cole, while the artist projects visual images of his work from the book’s illustrations.

In a recent press release, Cole wrote, “The poet John Levy, who just retired from his law job as a public defender in Tucson, has also written a memoir, ‘They Don’t Kill Snakes Where I Come From,’ and short fiction. His poetry relates to my work so well because our creative processes are so similar. His approach is inspired, not conceptual, free and open. He has lived in Seattle and is friends with the Seattle poet Alan Lau, who wrote the afterword of our book.”

Cole has exhibited his work in New York City, in Seattle at the Foster/White Gallery and ArtXchange Gallery and on Vashon at Gallery 070. His work is in a number of private and public collections, including the Portland Art Museum, the Worcester Art Museum and the Los Angeles ARCO Center for the Visual Arts.

“Engage” (right) by Donald Cole is acrylic and collage on canvas, 40 x 30 inches.