Saturday, October 16, 2004

Dutch Puns and Visual Poetry

I think Qpidoremix, a mailartist from the Netherlands, posted this mailing to me on 6 Oct 2004, since the only numeral I can interpret in the postmark is a "6."

Inside the envelope is a sheet of paper, with a letter on one side, covered with photographs, and laminated into one single piece. (As an archivist, I must point out that we do not support lamination as a preservation method. Encapsulation, interleaving a sheet of paper between two sheets of inert plastic, is the allowable alternative. As a mailartist, I must point out that I realize that preservation is not the main issue here; presenting a unique art experience is!)

Qpidoremix's letter discusses his Dutch poetry, which he calls "BarddraB" ("bard" meaning "bard," and "drab" meaning--instead of "drab"--"muddy goo"). He also explains the puns he uses in that poetry, and suggests I check out a site where I can find more "(dutch)(visual) poetry." The example he directs me to is a traditional pattern poem in the shape of a wineglass. Interestingly, this poem is similar in shape (and, I expect, subject) as a very famous French pattern poem. If you click on the link on the bottom of that page, you will find other poems by Qpidoremix, many of which are shaped poems.

On the other side of the sheet, Q has created a design based on the dbqpnacci sequence in the southeast quadrant. The rest of the quadrants, starting with the northwest, are photographs, which Q identifies as "Fountain of youth," "hmbrella" (great title), and "reflection."


Qpidoremix, [Quadrants] (Oct 2004)

un violon d'ingres

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hi Geof,

Havent come accross the french poem so I dont know how much it relates. The dutch poem loses more than 50% in translation (some words dont even exist in dutch;) so I wont even try it here (the last 3 times I tried I got stuck on the very first line).

The title of the poem is "Shards after the wedding" and refers to both the broken glass at the wedding as broken windshields when someone has had found out what the risk of drinking and driving is (presumable after a wedding party ;)

The poem is drunkman talking and at some points constructed to have the reader skip back some lines to interpret it. Its all confusing and joy until you reach the bottom of the glass "til the end is in sight".

qp

and indeed it wasnt intended as archive material. the lamination is to protect it from rain. a side effect of the laminating is that the colours get a little bit deeper. I'll send you one of my "ilaminated cards" (no paper to put between the sheets: lamination is the canvas). I experimented with putting laminated cards back in the printer for another layer that can be washed off to reveal the inner message and at the same time destroying the outer layer. The recipent has to choose without a clue whats underneath. Very well that can be trash ...or art, you never know..the outer layer: once its gone its gone. These cards turned out to be ultra messy (after two months the ink still prefered to stick on my fingers).

Geofhuth said...

qp,

Many thanks for these comments, which are as intriguing as your mailart. If I remember, I'll look up that French poem I mentioned and send you word.

Geof