VISAGE DU COLLAGE: “See What the Poets See!”

Recently the public had a chance to witness the marriage between collage and poetry—the third installment of a popular show took place at the Tompkins Square Public Library Gallery. My selection began with a strong dose of historical perspective in the form of works by two major proponents of visual poetry: Charles Henry Ford (1913-2002) and John Evans. Both started working in this terrain in the 1960s, Ford with poster collages and Evens by creating a daily collage diary that had run without interruption for 40 years.

Valery Oisteanu is an international artist and critic based in New York.

Ghost of Dorothy Parker. Ruth Friedman. Courtesy of the artist.

Recently the public had a chance to witness the
marriage between collage and poetry—the third installment of a popular
show took place at the Tompkins Square Public Library Gallery.

My
selection began with a strong dose of historical perspective in the
form of works by two major proponents of visual poetry: Charles Henry
Ford (1913-2002) and John Evans. Both started working in this terrain
in the 1960s, Ford with poster collages and Evens by creating a daily
collage diary that had run without interruption for 40 years.   

The
second component was writers who paint or otherwise created visual art.
I invited several American and international artist/poets: Charles
Mingus 3rd (U.S.), Lucien Dulfan (Russia, U.S.), Bruno Brieva
(Colombia), Indra Tamang (Nepal) and Luigi Cazzaniga (Italy, U.S.). I
also feel privileged to have the second and the third generation
surrealists in the show such as Amy Ernst, granddaughter of Max Ernst;
Oliver Halsman, grandnephew of Philippe Halsman; and India Evans, the
daughter of John Evans.    

In addition, the show featured
pieces specially commissioned by some artists from previous shows of
this series, namely Ruth Friedman (The Ghost of Dororthy Parker,) Allen J. Sheinman (Oh, Fritz), Angelo Jannuzzi, Brien Coleman (Black Magic TV) Tom Walker, Ilka Scobie, Barbara Slitkin, Bill Wollak and others          

Another popular event was the Poetry Performance evening called Collage Bon Voyage
with illustrious reading of original poems by: Bruce Weber, Tom Savage,
Jeffrey Cyphers Wright, Steve Dalachinsky, Lee Gongwer, Lisa Moira, and
Richard West.     

This form of art is neither a hobby nor some
cultural remnant of the 60s but the yield of creative anarchy and humor
that evolves every year into diverse artworks. The next step will be
poetry assemblages (3D poetry objects.)   

In a related project, more than 30 artists and poets teamed up in three groups to create Exquisite Corpses,
heads, bodies and legs made from cutouts and small found objects.
Though working separately in the process of conceptualization, the team
members achieved great coherence between words and images. After the
pieces were installed and fitted together, the works were unveiled and
presented along with poem reading. Each artist was also given the
chance to contribute to the title of the piece.    

Earlier in 2006, several workshops at the library successfully yielded two independent art shows: Po-Collage in East Village,organized
by Valery Oisteanu in collaboration with Jeffery Rakien Nomura
(artist-in-residence at the Tompkins Square Library), and Mixed Trix
(writers who make art along with artists who write), curated by Valery
Oisteanu and Jeffrey Cyphers Wright (East Village poet/collagist).
Workshops were specifically tailored to develop a collaborative
atmosphere between artists and writers and to create works
incorporating elements of both media to revitalize visual poetry as Po-Collage.    

With an environmental theme, The Greening of the East Village,
a collaboration of the visual and the oral (“Visoralism,”) gave free
expression to the ideas and voices of local poets and artists who
support green causes. As using recycled materials signals an awareness
of civic duty, collage—assemblage artists are in the forefront of the
greening of New York!