Poetry | Broadsides

Earth’s Cries Recorded in Space

The broadside, a distinctive form of artistry, came about in the 16^th century. Traditionally, a broadside was an attractive, eye-catching message scribed on a large sheet of paper and intended to be posted or hung in a public space, thereby transforming that space. By bringing a mixture of poetry and art to the people in this way, the poster or broadside became part of daily conversation

The modern broadside has the very same mission, each being an original literary-visual collaboration, an evocative combination of poetry and art meant to be enjoyed by a wide audience.  Thus displayed for all to see, the age-old mission of the broadside as street literature is accomplished. Any given viewer on any given day may be stimulated both by the language of the poem and the visual image, each in the service of the other

Whereas early broadsides were ephemeral, the modern broadside, using archival inks and papers, and executed by printers of high literary merit, has no such short life. Today, as in early works, text and graphics appear on a large sheet.  Each eloquent art poster or broadside is a work which represents a unique and innovative collaboration between a poet and an artist. In rendering a modern broadside, the visual or graphic artist experiments with forms and techniques influenced by his/her individual association with the poet.

The broadsides shown here are from the literary/visual collaboration of poet Irene Mitchell and artist Daniela Bertol.  They have created two series of distinctive broadsides "Seduction" and "Heart of the Matter", each a limited first edition archival print, numbered and signed.

 Choosing the Éclair

Epistle

Chiaroscuro

 

 Every Bright Green Yet Uncorrupted

 Gazing with Galileo

N.B.  “Gazing with Galileo” appears in Mitchell’s collection Sea Wind on the White Pillow (Axes Mundi Press).  All other poems appear in her new book, A Study of Extremes in Six Suites (Cherry Grove Collections)

Events | Celebrating National Poetry Month : Venice of the Mind

We almost at the end of April : we celebrate the end of 2011 "National Poetry Month"with visual poetry a collaboration between a poet and video artist.

Events | Celebrating National Poetry Month

According to an essay by David Orr (“O! Poetry,” The New York Times Book Review, March 17, 2011), “ …poetry can’t approach mass culture with any sense of swagger.” Orr was referring to the April 2011 issue of The Oprah Magazine: “Spring Fashion Modeled by Rising Young Poets.”

Most poets, however, don’t have to worry about outfits or about how to extend poetry beyond the literary culture so that it reaches Everyman - because there is National Poetry Month to bring poetry home, at least in April, all springing buds being equal.

National Poetry Month is a movement begun in 1996 by the Academy of American Poets. Its mission is to foster an appreciation of poetry within the popular culture, and the Academy advocates ways in which this may be done: put a poem in your pocket, chalk a poem on the sidewalk, attend a poetry reading or festival, enclose a poem with your letter, memorize or recite a poem, and, of course, buy poetry books and poetry broadsides.

To become acquainted with broadsides, for example, you may wish to view “Seduction,” the first series of four broadsides, wrought as a collaborative effort between poet Irene Mitchell, and artist Daniela Bertol.

There is also that increasingly captivating aspect of poetry, its connection to the visual, or “visual poetry.” You are invited to view excerpts from the visual poem, “Venice of the Mind.” The the video is by Daniela Bertol, the text by Irene Mitchell.

Irene Mitchell