{"id":26213,"date":"2017-10-06T03:49:26","date_gmt":"2017-10-06T10:49:26","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/?p=26213"},"modified":"2017-10-05T00:22:18","modified_gmt":"2017-10-05T07:22:18","slug":"poetry-inspired-by-abstract-art","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/2017\/10\/06\/poetry-inspired-by-abstract-art\/","title":{"rendered":"Poetry inspired by abstract art"},"content":{"rendered":"

On Sept. 25, a group of writers gathered to write and share poems sparked by the paintings of Waldemar Smolarek, now on display at Zack Gallery. (photo by Olga Livshin)<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Poetry events at the Sidney and Gertrude Zack Gallery have become a regular feature in the last few years. Every couple of months, writers of Pandora\u2019s Collective meet at the gallery to read their poems inspired by the art. They held their latest gathering on Sept. 25.<\/p>\n

The abstract paintings currently on display at the Zack seem to have been created to inspire poetry. Waldemar Smolarek\u2019s work is known to gallery patrons. Smolarek\u2019s first show at the Zack, in 2012, was posthumous \u2013 he died in 2010 \u2013 but his art is alive, infused with vibrant colours and the artist\u2019s unique frenetic energy.<\/p>\n

Smolarek, a proponent of purely abstract compositions, filled his canvasses with dynamic currents. His lines, in every imaginable hue, fly like arrows. His multicoloured balls dance like polka dots. His vivid splashes of blue and peach flow into each other, seemingly at random, but there is logic in the twists and turns of the artist\u2019s brush. His art invites people to delve into their own psyche, and the poets of the evening responded to the paintings\u2019 visual challenge with a wide variety of works: long and short, light-hearted and lamenting. Some poems were inspired by one specific painting, while other rhyming flights of fancy encompassed the entire gallery.<\/p>\n

As the event was a collaboration between the Zack Gallery and the Isaac Waldman Jewish Public Library, Helen Pinsky, the head librarian, gave a short introduction before passing the microphone to Leanne Boschman, the host of the evening.<\/p>\n

Although it was her first time as host, Boschman has participated in the Zack Gallery poetry evenings twice before. \u201cThe first time, the exhibition included the artist\u2019s journal and sketches, and I found it fascinating to see the artistic journey in progress,\u201d she told the Independent<\/em>. \u201cThe second time, it was a show of abstract photographs…. I like abstract art in connection to my poetry. I can play loosely with colours and shapes and words. It\u2019s harder when the art shows specific people or places. With abstract art, the poet is free to follow her own associations. Sometimes, it\u2019s a story; sometimes, a feeling or a question.\u201d<\/p>\n

Most of the participating poets agreed with her assessment, and Smolarek\u2019s art was a rich source for many pieces. The audience, although not large, was extremely generous in support of anyone at the mic, both the listed readers and the brave volunteers who took part in the open mic portion of the event. The friendly atmosphere, combined with the bright paintings and Boschman\u2019s humorous but factual introductions of every reader, made the evening a joyful celebration of colours and words.<\/p>\n

The first poet who read, Suzy Malcolm, has been writing poetry since she was a teenager. \u201cIt\u2019s my fifth time at the Zack,\u201d she said. \u201cI prefer abstract art for my poetry. It feels like a gift to write about colours and shapes.\u201d She writes poetry for children as well as adults, and her poems at this event reflected both sides of her poetic endeavours.<\/p>\n

Eva Waldauf, the next reader, started writing poetry when she was around 40. \u201cI\u2019m a visual artist,\u201d she said. \u201cOnce, I had to write a poem for a class, and I liked it. I thought it was fun; thought, \u2018I could do it,\u2019 so I began writing poetry.\u201d Her poems were not written on the spot. \u201cI visited the gallery last week to see the paintings, so I would have time to write and edit my poems. I like to come prepared.\u201d Although she admitted to always being nervous before reading her poems, one wouldn\u2019t have guessed it from her performance. Her reading, relaxed and expressive, enhanced by expansive gestures, revealed a good actress as well as an original poet.<\/p>\n

The next presenter, David Geary, staged his poems as letters to Smolarek. His presentation was comical. As if playing a game, he strode around the gallery and enrolled everyone in the audience and all the paintings as his willing and laughing playmates.<\/p>\n

As a counterpoint to his irreverent show, Sita Carboni\u2019s poetry resonated with mournful tunes. One of the co-founders of Pandora\u2019s Collective, Carboni noted that, with art like Smolarek\u2019s, a poet is free to explore in any direction. Her poetry, contemplative and deep, included a goodbye to someone she lost recently, and she couldn\u2019t finish her reading because of the tears that choked her.<\/p>\n

Warren Dean Fulton also prefers abstract art for his poetry. \u201cAbstract art allows you to project your own feeling and emotions. It is speaking to your subconscious. The poet is much less free with portraits or landscape.\u201d<\/p>\n

Fulton has participated in the poetry readings at the Zack before. \u201cIt is interesting to hear how the same paintings could inspire such different interpretations,\u201d he mused. As he likes to improvise with his poetry, he hadn\u2019t seen Smolarek\u2019s work before that evening.<\/p>\n

The last poet of the night, Amanda Wardrop, is also an experienced writer and reader. A schoolteacher, Wardrop said she finds poetry everywhere: in her interactions with students, in figurative art and in abstract art. \u201cDifferent poetry, that\u2019s all,\u201d she said. \u201cFigurative art often results in a narrative, while abstract art pushes one to a more emotional response.\u201d She did her research before coming to the reading that night, and her poetry touched on the artist\u2019s technique: layers and textures, as they related to our lives.<\/p>\n

The night concluded with a lively musical performance by Kempton Dexter, who played his guitar, sang and joked to the delight of the audience.<\/p>\n

Olga Livshin<\/strong> is a Vancouver freelance writer. She can be reached at olgagodim@gmail.com<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n

***<\/strong><\/p>\n

Balls collide and come apart,
\nLines zigzag and soar,
\nFeeding moxie to my heart
\nFields awash with colour.<\/p>\n

Reds and blues and greens explode
\nShards and doodles frolic,
\nPolka dots in quirky mode,
\nJoyful and symbolic.<\/p>\n

\u2013 Olga Livshin, inspired by the artwork of Waldemar Smolarek<\/em><\/p>\n

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On Sept. 25, a group of writers gathered to write and share poems sparked by the paintings of Waldemar Smolarek, now on display at Zack Gallery. (photo by Olga Livshin) Poetry events at the Sidney and Gertrude Zack Gallery have become a regular feature in the last few years. Every couple of months, writers of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":26214,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[785,989],"tags":[7450,1663,387,7451,40],"class_list":["post-26213","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-performing-arts","category-visual-arts","tag-abstract-art","tag-pandoras-collective","tag-poetry","tag-waldemar-smolarek","tag-zack-gallery"],"blocksy_meta":{"styles_descriptor":{"styles":{"desktop":"","tablet":"","mobile":""},"google_fonts":[],"version":8}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26213","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=26213"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26213\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/26214"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=26213"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=26213"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=26213"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}