My local museum ... a treasured get away!
Have you ever heard of Ekphrastic Poetry?
Well I hadn't before until I was challenged by
my local Poetry Society
to study the technique and write a poem
about a piece of art from the museum's
latest gallery exhibit
"New Waves 2013"
This certainly excited the artist/poet in me!
about a piece of art from the museum's
latest gallery exhibit
"New Waves 2013"
This certainly excited the artist/poet in me!
Ekphrastic Poetry is writing a poem about
an inspiration that comes from a particular work of art.
There was a new exhibit at MOCA
(Museum of Contemporary Art)
here in my hometown of
Virginia Beach, VA
It is special to me already
for this is where
my son and his wife
had their wedding reception two years ago!
I have also participated in Art Shows there
and have taught art classes in their Studio School.
So off I went on an Artist Date with myself,
to see the new exhibit and pick just one piece of artwork
that would speak to me
to write a poem about,
I didn't think this was going to be easy.
I didn't think this was going to be easy.
There were so many beautiful works of art
during the new exhibit
I had no idea which one to choose,
I had no idea which one to choose,
but I was then drawn to a very large
collaged canvas
entitled
"A Midsummer's Night Dream XVI"
I admired the piece because it was a collaboration
of art students from Norfolk, Virginia
guided by artist Tim Rollins;
they used watercolors, fruit juices, india inks,
rag papers and metallics to paint and tear
different shapes of papers into flower images,
of course being a collage artist myself,
I was immediately intrigued by this piece!
I stayed in front of this work of art for quite a long time,
jotting words and phrases that came to mind,
trying to create a poem from the intense image
that was in front of me.
I then discovered beneath the pasted flowers
were the words and script from
Shakespeare's "A Midsummer's Night Dream",
it was the underlying groundwork
placed onto the canvas first,
then the flowers were carefully pasted on top of the script,
a hidden gift for me to discover,
It really did take my breath away!
So yes I did create my poetry this past Sunday Morning,
yes I did come to the Poetry Reading at the museum one evening
and yes I did share my poem out loud!
What an incredible experience it was.
Hearing your own voice reading your own words
coming through a microphone
out loud to others
can be daunting!
I learned a new technique in my Poetry writing
and I loved the experience of it all.
Especially being able to combine two things
I am passionate about,
Art and Poetry
And yes I did find time to practice a little
Self Portraiture!
I am always learning
always reaching
always trying something new!
Step out of your comfort zone,
try something totally new
you won't be disappointed!
Life is just full of creative adventures
but you do have to look for them,
don't stay in the same boring place all the time!
Look inwardly and Reach out
experiment with what life has to offer
Your beautiful self can do it!
Donna Lee Zeppieri Wynn
