Bagyi Aung Soe, “The Illustration of Poems”, Nway U (June 1988), 114-115.1
114 What a fool I am. I should study from a brilliant poet like Dagon Taya. He was interested in painting and taught me about painters’ lives. He told me about the lives of artists, politicians and everything that he knew. I knew nothing back then. What I wanted was to become someone. I had just left the Burmese army. I did not understand anything anymore. Dagon Taya was the only person who could tell me, explain to me and teach me. He was a friend of mine and a poet too. I believe he was the most avant-garde man of our time. To create illustrations of poems, I know I have to learn from a poet. I do not want to illustrate poems without any knowledge of poetry. It has been at least 35 years since I make a living as an illustrator of poems. I painted thousands of paintings. They are in black and white. I do not make them in colour. I am used to using a pen. Since the post-war period, I illustrated poems in only black and white using pen. To do that, I had to read millions of poems and to contemplate on these poems. After reading so many poems, I had a few experiences (“Experience” [English]). Should I say that they were experiences from my past lives (“Past experience” [English])? Adding to the third eye (“Creative Imagination” [English]) I received – that is to say, I am capable of creating something new according to imagination – I added competence and skilfulness. 115 While it is impossible to learn how to illustrate poems, it is possible to learn how to paint. Young artists today – whether they are intellectuals or graduates from the school of painting – are entirely intelligent. I cannot surpass their works because they are intelligent at drawing (“Clever in Hand-Craftmanship” [English]). With respect to illustrations of poems, the artist’s idea is linked to the poem to be illustrated. It is with the intelligence of idea (“Clever in mind” [English]) that I am capable of being an illustrator of poems. I have been in the field of poetry for 40 years. I have made many illustrations. With this long experience, I have developed sufficient concentration to be as I am. It is very simple. It is because I like poetry and adore it very much. Anyone can become an artist like me if he or she understands my idea. It is important that he or she has true kindness. If one is kind, it is 1
This translation only conveys the gist of the article, not all the nuances. Bagyi Aung Soe, “The Illustration of Poems”, Nway U (June 1988), 114-15.
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possible to create new imagination. If there is creative imagination, he or she can have a fantastic life. Art comes from the heart, from the soul. From the heart to the hand flow kindness and affection. It is at this moment that the artist creates his or her work through hand movement. If poets cannot compose, I cannot live. I therefore thank them. If a poet does not have a cent, neither does Bagyi Aung Soe. I thank the poets who give me the chance to live. Poets are the ones with good ideas. As for me, since I am very weak, I make a lot of effort to understand their ideas. To live as others do, I am struggling against life’s difficulties. I am not born yesterday in the art world, but everything that Aung Soe creates will be modern. My principle is that I will only create the new; I never create the old. I understood a poet-editor’s right very well. There is no special method for illustrating poems. In any case, whoever knows the fundamentals of painting well is capable of illustrating poems. That is all.
Translated by Khin Swe Win & Yin Ker
Bagyi Aung Soe, “The Illustration of Poems”, Nway U (June 1988), 114-15.
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