Detail of the assemblage which inspired a poem relating to my work on Felicia Browne.
A central outcome for my Artist’s Eye project is to become more proficient in poetry. Not that I will become a poet in the professional sense – but that poetry becomes a stronger branch of my practice.
Until now poems have arrived spontaneously, and have been written in a completely un-tutored way.
My Barcelona in a Bag project began with a poem. This is the project from which all else in my practice currently flows. So the potential of poetry as a catalyst in my creative practice is clear – visual works not only flow from poetic beginnings, but visual works also inspire poetic responses. The objects I work with are the ultimate source of this emerging two way street.
Enter ACE funding and the opportunity to beef up my poetry muscles with the help of Jenny Rivarola, whose poetry making I have observed through our collaboration. She has also cast her expert eye over a new poem, which has emerged from our work together. My first ever experience of receiving professional crit of a poem.
True to form this poem was inspired by an assemblage piece currently on show at the North Wall Gallery, Oxford.
I’m now busy thinking about how to push this combination of poetry and assemblage further and work towards exhibiting or publishing the results in the near future.
