What I’ve always found interesting, but never fully understood, is the effect of combining art and writing. In the weekly readings, we’ve previously read about how art can function as communication models, and it’s so fascinating to me that when people combine art and writing, they are essentially combining two means of communication. We’ve all seen this before in books, where words are often paired with pictures (whether that’s a textbook or a novel), but I’ve always specifically wanted to learn more about the effect of combining art with poetry, two forms of communication that are both seen as inherently artistic.
One modern poet who is quite well known for using this combination of poetry and art is Rupi Kaur, an example of whose work is shown below:
In my understanding, it seems that the art and writing complement each other as forms of communication. The use of all lowercase letters seems to mirror the minimalist sketch on the right, and as someone who enjoys both writing and (occasionally) drawing, I’d love to learn how I too can better use the two forms of communication in combination with each other.
1 Comment
Julia Mitchell · February 18, 2021 at 12:49 am
Ok so I am super intrigued by the power of combining art and writing. Rupi Kaur is without a doubt successful at creating poems that feel close to the reader. She does this, as you mentioned, by using all lowercase, simple illustrations, basic vocabulary, and direct messages. My favorite way to combine art and writing is through comics. Graphic novels are awesome and can transcend traditional written storytelling in a bunch of cool ways. Some of my favorite graphic novels are Persepolis, A Contract with God, and Funhome.
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