Visual Poetry, Concrete Poetry, Video-Poetry

 

Click here to read (experience?) Fiona Tinwei Lam's moving poems. Sometimes they're called video poems. Is it right to call this work of art a poem? Why or why not? There are good arguments on both sides. 

In this new unit, we're going to study the contributions of many international poets and artists over the last 50 or so years. Some, such as the Noigrandes artists and theorists from Brazil are quite well known, but many (most) have toiled in obscurity. This is true for most artists and poets throughout recorded history. 

Mary Ellen Solt published Concrete Poetry: A World View at the apex of the movement's popularity in 1968. Even though it's over 50 years old, it remains the best treatment of the movement. However, for obvious reasons, it doesn't treat any of the fascinating new work of the past 55 years. For instance, she wrote before computers and digital technology took over our world. 

One of the key texts was written by the Noigrandes group in Brazil, Pilot Program for Concrete Poetry.

Perhaps the best collection of historical and contemporary visual and concrete poetry can be found on ubu.com.

Your homework for Wednesday, October 13:

Read this Kenneth Goldsmith essay

Read the introduction to Mary Ellen Solt's book (link above). Prepare a brief presentation (5 min) on the chapter you have been randomly assigned. What is notable? What is interesting? What is weird? What is confusing? What is beautiful? Why, why, why, why? (Please note: the questions above are not a laundry list.)

Assignment due: next Wednesday, October 20

PART ONE

Your original visual or concrete poem or poems (hand-made, digital, collage, etc.) It could also be a gif, a brief animation or something else that uses language as visual material. There are endless examples of this kind of work on ubu.com and other online platforms. Explore. 

PART TWO

A brief 300-500 word essay that situates your work within historical practice. How is your work like/unlike precursors? Develop. Use images if you like. 

We will talk more about this assignment on Wednesday.

Questions: csmith@dcad.edu