A vispro and vispo experiment

A vispro experiment.


Is there any difference in intent between a vispro (visual prose) or a vispo (visual poem) image?

I created an two different works to see if two different approaches to the same material resulted in two different outcomes – there are many more to follow in order to fully understand the process as well as the finished work, but I need to start somewhere. I have followed David’s words for many years now*, and when I eventually tired of reading his poetry through my own filter, I asked him to write me clues for understanding his poetic. This correspondence has gone on for quite a few years, resulting in books bound and destined for The New Alexandrian Library**. 


I began working firstly with David’s poem Citadel VI 1.


With intent*** to create two different kinds of images, I used David’s poem to begin a vispo work and his prose as the starting point for a vispro image. The method approached for the vispo image suggested certain poetic devices, but these were used in a visual way – enjambments, repetition (B), ‘consonance’, expressive font (vispo), alliteration – David wrote – “much easier to suggest the poetry with vispo than with vispro. Contains only a few, alliterative, bold words: Berlin, Beethoven, brutal border, bottle logic, point of thirst, and image of a bottle with some text from Citadel”. 


 


Conversely, when attempting a visual prose – vispro - approach, I was concerned with analysing time, thoughts, imagery, particular emphases – the poem’s formal qualities as I saw them – how did the poem make me feel. Although parts of my response were rhythmic, in no way was it poetic. I was not attempting to poetically react to his poem, but in prose. These thoughts were overlaid on David’s comments regarding words. Images came to mind – including Baudelaire – but he was just a ghost reference, entwined in the lines on other pages. 

In attempting to unpack any of David Stone’s poems, one must travel time and space, confront the past, the present and take a peek into the future. Perhaps one thinks theoretical thought - take a houseboat into the denizens of the north sea, cling to the idea of heaven, fall like Icarus and begin the journey again. 

 

Like heavy footfalls through the shadowlands, staccato shots in Wastelands, his words drum on the consciousness of the reader who is left breathless – where am I now – where does David intend to take me on this journey? I am bereft, lost and awash in the shadow lands of word-images, attempting to breathe in unknown moments: 

Berlin, Beethoven, Brutal Border, Bottle and again 

succoured by structure and rhythm, but tossed to and fro, a tempestuous word storm from which there is no release within the Citadel. 

 

Berlin, Beethoven, Brutal Border, Bottle and again 

Berlin, Beethoven, Brutal Border, Bottle and again 

Berlin, Beethoven, Brutal Border, Bottle and again 

But I must remember in my meanderings that I am bound within the memory halls of HIS world, he is the journey master, the one who pinpoints the pegs on which I must hang. 



David wrote: Diagonally bisected image of an old photo that looks like Baudelaire with a bottle behind the human figure. Some of the verbal text is readable which identifies the subject, David Stone`s poetry and Cheryl's reaction to the poetry with a clear reference to Berlin and consciousness. This vispro succeeds in suggesting the poetic - it's subject and its sense, reinforced by its shadowy, broken images.


I think the aesesethic of the two is very different? 

   

* https://www.amazon.com/David-Stone-Philosophical-Cheryl-Penn/dp/9388319370

 

**https://newalexandrianlibrary.blogspot.com/2020/

 

***Somewhere in the vispro discussion on Facebook, quite a lot was spoken of intent.

Obviously I am in favour of free, unbridled artistic spirit, but, in being that, so what? Imagine if we could write novels endlessly filled with gibberish. Would they have any value?  What are we actually trying to accomplish here? IF nothing/meaningless-ness – and that is indeed a personal pursuit, then fine – but that is not for this discussion. And, why post such images/words anywhere (such as Facebook) if we hold them to be nothing?  Why must everything be segregated to the middle word- vispo? Why experiment if not to reach ‘the real deal’? By definition, ‘intention’ is an aim – a purpose one is attempting to achieve. Although experience of an artwork has a multitude of intensely personal answers – such as - interpretation coming through personal experience to an artwork, does not ‘classification’ aid our understanding?  Simple example:  we can comfortable ‘classify’ Monet as the father of Impressionism which aids us (so many years away) in unlocking his intentions. This movement too faced harsh criticism, were perceived as violating academic painting – but they changed the ‘face’ of painting forever. 

     



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