“i can’t get at the poem of this” ·
“i can’t get at the poem of this” ·
This juried open call welcomes all mediums of visual and performance art, including but not limited to sculpture, fiber art, installation, video art, sound art, painting, photography, works on paper, and ceramics.
There’s poetry in art/making, and we often hold those poems for or within ourselves; either articulating it in a language only we know or unable to speak it because words often fall short.
For “i can’t get at the poem of this,” we invite you to share a little bit about the poetry that led to your piece or the story that drives the work. This is a call for “trying to find the words”—a familiar feeling or refrain of late. Your words don’t have to be a Poem or paragraphs-long, but just an attempt at sharing what you’re giving your attention to or are tending to.
Simply: In your submission, tell us about what you were thinking about as you were making the work you’re sharing for this open call.
Submissions are due July 20. The online exhibition—“i can’t get at the poem of this”— will be on-view on August 1. Selected submissions will be notified by july 26. this exhibition is juried by angela zonunpari.
A note from the juror, Angela Zonunpari:
The exhibition title is from an essay by C.C. (Poetry’s So Common Hardly Anyone Can Find It), who quotes the phrase from Alice Notley’s poem C. ‘81. Here are a few excerpts to consider / inspire / carry as you think of what to share with us—
Poetry is more than a literary form. Poetry is the essence of inner feelings and thoughts as they relate to the external world. Poetry is found and observed; it is not a creation. If there was a more specific definition, it would cease to be Poetry.
…
Poem-making is like summarizing the plot of a movie, retelling a dream, or explaining an internet meme in person … It’s never the same as the real thing.
“Poetry happens before poem-making,” writes C.C. and this Midwest Nice Art open call invites you to consider the poetics that led to the making of your work or the poetry that shapes your practice. I’m just curious to know more about you :)
One more (fun) nugget of info: “[Plato] traced skill back to the root work for “making,” poiein. This is the parent word for poetry.” — writes Richard Sennett in The Craftsman, page 24. So your art/making skill is poetry in and of itself!
With gratitude & care,
Angela.
Angela Zonunpari is an artist-editor-writer based in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, with roots in north and northeast India. Her interdisciplinary practice engages texts, textiles, and installation.