- Venue
- SAISON POETRY LIBRARY
- Location
Visiting the Saison Poetry Library felt like entering a parallel dimension. I was acutely aware of how little poetry there is in my life. Yes I listen to ‘The Verb’ on BBC Radio 3 on friday nights. But aside of that what else? I read novels but I don’t read poems and now I am asking myself why.
Over the summer artists are exhibiting at the Saison Poetry Library in an exhibition curated by KALEID editions called ‘Art on Poetry’. This is running from April to September 2011. Each of the artists exhibiting has used the library’s collection as an inspiration to make work as well as drawing upon the Southbank Centre’s archives to reflect on Britain’s identity today in the context of the 60th anniversary of the 1951 Festival of Britain.
Now in early May it is the turn of Antonio Claudio Carvalho and Hellicar & Lewis. Twelve artists in total will be exhibiting over the summer. Antionio Claudio Carvelho is a painter working with concrete poetry. Peter Hellicar and Joel Gethin Lewis collaborate as Hellicar and Lewis in making open source software installations.
I looked closely at the artist’s book ‘Let a Hundred Flowers Blossom in Tiananmen Square’ by Antonio Claudio Carvelho. It was displayed in a tall enclosed glass stand which housed four copies of the work so that all the content on each side of the pages could be seen. It was made of thick white paper folded in a zig zag manner and printed with images in black ink and text in red capitials. The text was a poem which spoke of really seeing, hearing and feeling. It expressed the idea of poetry being a new voice to enable us to really see and how bloodshed and sacrifice can bring about change and hope. This was written by the artist on his first visit to China in the context of political conflict and change.
This artist’s book has provoked me to consider the power of poetry and how it can give expression in a different way to prose. I am looking forward to returning to the Poetry Library over the summer to see the work by the other artists and to spend time rediscovering poetry for myself.
poetrylibrary.org.uk
kaleideditions.com
