For the past few weeks I’ve written about the recent generative writing workshop, Visual Poetry: Seeing is Believing I attended at the brand new Literary Art Building in Portland. Writer Paige Thomas, did a fantastic job leading the workshop while fostering a safe and welcoming space for participants to create and share our work.
Paige introduced us to shaped poetry. Shaped poetry is pretty much what the name implies: A poem written in the shape of its subject. Shaped poetry can also employ blank space (negative space for us visual artists) into the form of its subject. The shape of the poem is as important as its meaning.
For this workshop assignment, I combined shaped and ekphrastic poetry. For the reference work, I used a still from Joan Jonas’ environment art performance video, Moving Off The Land, 2016.
Star Man 2025 A man steps out from a star fish. Or, is he dissolving into it? He wears a leisure suit and holds Bells in each hand. From the bells hang ribbons- The suspended fabric floats like Toilet paper streamers. Is this an image of evolution Or a failed experiment of a higher life form and The starfish consumes what's left of humanity? Somewhere is an undiscovered ape Evolving into a better human than We who already exist? If creation is progress, not perfection Who is keeping score? We are created to be kind, not cruel. "Justice with mercy, Cry the Great Ones Imploring us to change. Are we scrolling ourselves Into oblivion? Could we try just A little bit harder? -Julianna Paradisi
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