Poetry and Art

Poetry has come into my world lately (not that I haven't enjoyed it for a while).

First, I'll be exhibiting at the New England Poetry and Art Gala at the Providence Public Library,  June 6th, 5-9 pm

A special evening of Poetry, Paintings & Music in the library’s newly renovated Grand Hall and Ship Room.  Meet and be inspired by the poetry of Fred Marchant, Stephen Dobyns, Rick Benjamin, Wendy Mnookin, Richard Hoffman, Alan Feldman, Alice B. Fogel, Jennifer Militello, Vivian Shipley, and others!  A buffet and refreshments will be served. Doors open at 5 PM for registration, appetizers and art exhibits.

At the event, poets will be reading art-inspired poems they wrote about paintings selected from New England Museums. They will be displaying images of the museum paintings on a screen while they read their poems.   Tickets for the Gala and buffet are $15 payable by check before June 2 to The Poetry Loft, PO Box 8235, Cranston, RI 02920. Include names and emails for registration.   Email questions to  info@thepoetryloft.org

Second, the Wickford Art Association will be hosting a Poetry and Art "challenge"  32 poets anonymously submitted poems and 32 artist anonymously selected one of those poems.  We have until June 30 to complete a painting inspired by the poem.  They will be photographed and compiled in a book.  In August there will be a reception where the artist meet the poets. 

Is this "Fake Art"???

Over the years, I’ve had conversations with fellow artists about paintings I created using a software application called ArtRage and whether they are “real art.”  At first, I was surprised that I’d have to defend the media.  But then it got me thinking about what is “real art” and what makes computer art different.  

Waterfire

Painting is all about capturing some aspect of reality in two dimensions.  Whether the artist’s style is realistic or abstract, the end result is still the artist’s individual interpretation.  The properties and techniques of watercolor are very different from oil, which are very different from pastel, which are very different from pen and ink, which are….(you get it).  Whether I put pigments mixed with oil on a primed piece of cotton canvas with a paintbrush, or chose a canvas texture and then select a color which is applied and manipulated with my mouse, I’m still creating an illusion.  

A photographer is still a photographer even if s/he uses a digital camera and a computer instead of film and a darkroom. The big difference between paint on canvas and using my computer might be that I could print up as many copies as I wanted.  As with photography, there are other media where this is possible.  This reason might influence the price, but it should not negate the skill, time etc…  

If painting as about creating an illusion would that make all "real art", in fact, "fake art"?