A vispro Experiment

In experimentation (and with intent) I created two different works to see if two different approaches to the same material resulted in two different outcomes (many more followed in order to come to grips with the process as well as the finished work). 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 10.

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David Stone Citadel VI 10 David Stone – Note accompanying two poems in the series.

With intent*** to create two different kinds of images, I used David’s poem to begin a vispo image and his prose as the starting point for a vispro image. The method approached for the vispo image involved 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” .

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

**https://newalexandrianlibrary.blogspot.com/2020/ Donated to Jack Ginsburg Centre for the Book Arts

***Often in 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 (as artistic intent is intended) and that is indeed a personal pursuit, 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 on) in unlocking his intentions. This movement faced harsh criticism too, its proponents perceived as violating academic painting – but they changed the ‘face’ of painting forever.

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, they were in no way poetic. I was not attempting to poetically react to David’s poem, but to visually respond in reasoned prose. These thoughts were overlaid on David’s comments regarding his words. Images came to mind – including Baudelaire – but he was just a ghost reference, entwined in the lines.

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 overgrown 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 restless journey? I am bereft, lost and awash in shadow lands of wordimages, 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: 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.

Cheryl Penn/David Stone: vispo – Bottle Logic Cheryl Penn/David Stone: vispro – Citadel Thoughts

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” .

So is there a need to create some clarity between visual prose and visual poetry? I think so.

A note posted to Facebook:

I'm ‘on the seeking parameters side’ - call it 'theory' if you like – thinking:

I always wonder where we would be if 'modernism' had not been recognised, or, impressionism, or cubism, or dada, or prose or poetry or parallel plots or things such as foil characters? Such 'theory' has shaped where we are today – in good ways and bad ways. 'Theory' speaks to the times in which it was formulated and provides a valuable context for the past. It may be wrong/right/, outdated/outmoded, but, we can only spring from the known in attempting to define things unknown. Or perhaps, that is how we recognize potentially unrecognised artworks as their own creature - such as visual prose. And, vispro has always been there - like most things. I'm just trying to extract one grain from the text-image sand storm. Maybe I am totally unlike you, but I can only do that if I recognise it! Seeking vispro parameters helps me name something I have observed and which will perhaps help explain with various relationships between visual-textual concepts.