Reading poetry as art

An ANCA Gallery visitor reads the poetry in the series
The Museum of Skin by Lizz Murphy, during SKIN.

I have a visual arts past which is catching up. The promises to myself are: it will not displace writing, it will incorporate poetry, it will help to promote poetry.

I was part of a group exhibition titled Skin in late 2011. (I may have mentioned this before.)  Of course there was little time for writing; books were delayed; the poems I aimed to write for individual works were elusive.

It turned around. The proposed fencing wire necklaces worked out and so did the various birds and books in small boxes. The poems I wanted happened - albeit one after the exhibition was already open. (Thankfully an attachment rather than in the body of the work.) People took the time to read the poetry. The poems fit a manuscript I have to finish early 2012. I’ve since submitted the delayed 2011 manuscript and the publisher has accepted it.

The four artists (Kelly de Olivera, Deborah Faeyrglenn, Cheryl Jobsz, me) organized a full public program, which included a poetry reading in the gallery by myself and invited poets. The open mike was more of a poets’ dialogue on the exhibition themes, with new and published poets participating. The combination of artworks, poetry readings and gallery space created the magic atmosphere that we know it can.

Over 300 people attended the exhibition (hooray). Everyone sold work (hooray). A selection of images from Skin can be found at my website (there'll be additions). More info/posts on the Skin Page.