My thoughts on this book- Artwords by Beatriz M. Robles, Whats your thoughts?
Posted: 13 Dec 2023, 14:03
I read the book Artwords by Beatriz M. Robles, and I was amazed by the creativity and originality of the visual poetry. The author experiments with image and form to create a new kind of poetry that challenges the conventional boundaries of text and art. The book is also very colorful and eye-catching, with vivid images and fonts. The book is not very long, but it is very diverse and varied, with different themes and styles.
The book consists of three types of poems: calligrams, photographs, and reductive poems. Calligrams are poems that are written to take the shape of objects, such as a kite, a cupcake, or a pair of scissors. Photographs are poems that are written on or near objects and then photographed. Redactive poems are poems that are created by erasing or highlighting certain words or letters in a found text, such as a page from a novel, a newspaper article, or a letter.
I found the calligrams to be very playful and clever, using the form and the content of the words to create a visual impact. For example, the calligram “Playtime” is formatted to look like a kite, and the words describe the frustration of not being able to fly it. I also liked the photographs, which felt more like contemporary art pieces combining photography, sculpture, and poetry. They used the contrast and the connection between the words and the objects to create meaning. For example, the photograph “Pretty Tiring” is printed on a hair comb, and the words express the exhaustion of trying to look beautiful for someone else. The reductive poems were the most intriguing to me, as they used the process of deletion and selection to create a new message from an existing text. For example, the reductive poem “The Writing” is culled from a page of the novel A Wedding in December by Anita Shreve, and the words reveal a secret story of anxiety and distance.
I enjoyed reading this book, and I think it is a great example of how poetry can be more than just words on a page. It is a book that appeals to both the mind and the eyes, and it invites the reader to explore the possibilities of language and art. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes poetry, art, or creativity.
The book consists of three types of poems: calligrams, photographs, and reductive poems. Calligrams are poems that are written to take the shape of objects, such as a kite, a cupcake, or a pair of scissors. Photographs are poems that are written on or near objects and then photographed. Redactive poems are poems that are created by erasing or highlighting certain words or letters in a found text, such as a page from a novel, a newspaper article, or a letter.
I found the calligrams to be very playful and clever, using the form and the content of the words to create a visual impact. For example, the calligram “Playtime” is formatted to look like a kite, and the words describe the frustration of not being able to fly it. I also liked the photographs, which felt more like contemporary art pieces combining photography, sculpture, and poetry. They used the contrast and the connection between the words and the objects to create meaning. For example, the photograph “Pretty Tiring” is printed on a hair comb, and the words express the exhaustion of trying to look beautiful for someone else. The reductive poems were the most intriguing to me, as they used the process of deletion and selection to create a new message from an existing text. For example, the reductive poem “The Writing” is culled from a page of the novel A Wedding in December by Anita Shreve, and the words reveal a secret story of anxiety and distance.
I enjoyed reading this book, and I think it is a great example of how poetry can be more than just words on a page. It is a book that appeals to both the mind and the eyes, and it invites the reader to explore the possibilities of language and art. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes poetry, art, or creativity.