Visual poetry is a global language. When you look at vispo and ignore the name under the images, it is impossible to ascertain the gender, age, race, or nationality of the artist who created the work. This is a major attraction for me. With the vagaries of translation of traditional poetry, you can only truly appreciate the richness of a poet's words in your native language. Such a limitation does not exist with visual poetry. You have the ability to communicate with anyone in the world without intermediaries. This is a liberating experience.
The goal of the visual poet is to create a universal language accessible to anyone. In this respect it is similar to the philosophy expounded by Kandinsky in his book, Concerning the Spiritual in Art. The painters of non-objective "abstract" art wanted to free their art from representation and regionalism - and succeeded. For the visual poet "the word" and "letters" are sacred; these are the raw materials which we use to create a visionary art.
It is the role of the visual poet to sift through the barrage of words and images that bombard us every day and bring some order to the onslaught confronting us in print and in cyberspace. Information overload is now a global problem and visual poets from around the world are working to creatively channel this excess into meaningful form.
Some of us prefer to use scissors, glue, and paper to create collages from printed materials. Others use rubber stamps, typewriters, traditional printing techniques, or paint on paper. Sculptors add a third dimension. Many younger artists created dazzling and complicated designs online using computers. But, the aim is the same regardless of medium.
In the 30 years I've been making visual poetry, I have been primarily interested in the layering of languages and symbols. The awareness of past history underscoring the present and influencing the future is represented by layers of text and iconography. Our essence, our DNA, is an amalgamation of all who preceded us, as is our language. For me, visual poetry is an examination of time and memory represented by the letters and texts and images surrounding us in our daily lives. Visual Poetry is a celebration if our remarkable ability to speak, to write, to think, to communicate with language. It is my passion.
Carol Stetser
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