Ekphrasis
Ekphrasis is a greek word and it means a poetic description of an artwork. Literally ἐκ ek means “out” and φράσις phrásis, means “speak”. To “speak out” an artwork in a poem, is a great way to remember the moment of encounter.
The process of finding words to describe an artwork, engages additional cognitive pathway and enhances the visual experience. I keep these poems not for literary purposes, but as bottled-up moments. Sometimes the process is not finished and the words keep fermenting until the cork pops out!
My recommendation is to read the poems first and only then to click on the museum links to find the images.
Eglė Gineitytė, Friends, 2007
MO Museum, Vilnius
The trick is to trace this icy horizon all the way back to summer, To travel from peppery snow to purple thrift. To play the trumpet of your friendship and to find it trotting along tirelessly, a little wet nose pointing west. Karen Vanhercke
Romualdas Rakauskas, Blossoming, 1970
MO museum, Vilnius
When a black and white photo turns its volume up and pink petals of your laughter drift down from its frame to kiss my face and hands, I feel rich, just standing there, owning nothing but my senses. Karen Vanhercke
Silvestras Džiaukštas, Plants for a Balcony, 1974
National Gallery of Art, Vilnius.
This odd angular desert, Doesn't reflect you, Nor the pale faced flower Which magically appeared On that small cactus - Clearly, you know, How to make things bloom -, But I can show you a boat Moored on the edge of a dream Ready to escape over green Water that never runs out. Karen Vanhercke
Paul Graham, A shimmer of Possibility, (North Dakota) , 2005.
My engine with a thousand miles on it Slips like a wave cloud, at the crack of dawn, Under the canopy of this 3 pump Station Merging metal and sky a deep Dieselrot Bis Zum Horizont, I slur my words like A North Dakota German, while filling up My tank with a shimmer of possibility. Karen Vanhercke