Concrete Poetry.

Visited the ICA recently to see the exhibition on concrete poetry, called Poor.Old.Tired.Horse.

Particularly like Liliane Lijn's printed spinning cones, which were, literally, that! The rotation allows the observer to see the beginning of the line to come into view as the end of the line disappears, creating a unique effect of 'nonlinear reading', is the only way I can describe it. The lines -
Protons are positive. Are you? Are you?
Electrons are negative. Are you? Are you?
Neutrons are neutral. Are you? Are you?

go round and round, but the effect is unlike the words on the printed page.
Also, as I have realised by reading Lijn's comments, the conical shape means the words are accelerated as they feature lower down. She says-
"When we see the written word we forget that letters are symbols of vibrations. I make poem machines to transform words into energy patterns."

Ferdinand Klimet had metal signs with circular 'compendium words' as in BLACKOUTLAW, LIPUBERTYPE. The design of the signs to me had the style of giving information, whereas the word patterns embossed on them were more cryptic, but the presentation gave them more intrigue.

More traditionally, Alasdair Gray had on show poems that formed part of his black and white illustrations, illustrations that reflected a theme of the poem. I liked, from "In A Cold Room",

Loneliness

From the soul's proper loneliness love and affection seem
part substance and part dream
held in the mouth in the same way the snake carries its eggs
if gripped too hard they break
leaving a few grains of dust
and a heart crippled by its weight of lust



hope you are all still writing & will continue to blog!