Opening soon... Henri Michaux: The Mescaline Drawings
The Courtauld, London (February 12 - June 2025)
https://courtauld.ac.uk/whats-on/exh-henri-michaux-mescaline-drawings/
In January 1955, as part of an experiment prompted by his publisher, the Franco-Belgian poet and visual artist Henri Michaux tried the psychedelic drug mescaline, to investigate the effect of this non-addictive drug on the creative act.
It transformed Michaux's artistic life - provoking an outpouring of writings and distinctive drawing during the 1950s and 60s as he sought a portal into the inner workings of the mind.
Opening soon in the Drawings Gallery, explore a selection of these later works, rarely seen in the UK, and experience his attempt to push the limits of what the essence of drawing really is.
The programme of displays in the Gilbert and Ildiko Butler Drawings Gallery is generously supported by the International Music and Art Foundation, with additional support from James Bartos.
Henri Michaux (1899-1984), Untitled (Mescaline drawing), 1957, pen and black ink on paper. Promised gift by Linda Karshan in memory of her husband, Howard Karshan. On long-term loan to The Courtauld Gallery, London © ADAGP, Paris and DACS, London 2024.
Henri Michaux (1889-1984), Untitled, 1956, Graphite, black and coloured inks on paper, 184 x 131 mm. Private collection © ADAGP, Paris and DACS, London 2025.
(Thanks to The Courtauld for exhibit information & image)
Words become images; images become words:
Concrete & Visual Poetry by Hiromi Suzuki
The work of Hiromi Suzuki reveals the potential of the new visual poetries currently emerging.
While Western concrete and pattern poetry represent a kind of hyper-formalism, Suzuki reaches a higher level of expression via skillful use of collage, distortion and many other available tools. Technology has created many new possibilities for concrete poetry.
Suzuki’s compositions tend to be language-centered. They also offer the reader fascinating image-text juxtapositions that produce asemics as well. In Suzuki’s vispo, words become images; images become words. At times he uses open field composition, which tend to reduce disruption and fragmentation.
I am very pleased to present recent work by Hiromi Suzuki at The New Concrete Poetry. I hope we will see more of his work here. Deepest thanks to him for granting permission to use his images.
De Villo Sloan
February 5, 2025
Please make sure to visit Slow Forward for more outstanding asemic reportage:
From Slow Forward:
In my later 2024 posts about asemic writing here at AF2, I discussed theoretical and practical components of the current movement. My approach is to be descriptive rather than prescriptive.
I contend a small but vocal group of mostly veteran visual poets grounded in Leftwich & Gaze (circa 1993-97) increasingly run in contradiction to the ubiquitous, abstract expressionist-based visual art that - in the majority mind - currently constitutes authentic asemic writing.
While trying to interpret and resolve Leftwich's work with my own, I encountered what I have at times less than seriously named "Deth Metal Asemics." Leftwichian Asemics produce an infinite, boring, dissonant wasteland that, as Pound already warned, "will not cohere."
Deth Metal Asemics do little more than suggest the outlines of a massive Greenland made of destroyed and decaying alphabets. What I find fascinating in Leftwich & Gaze - what keeps me returning - is the conceptualism and deeply philosophical components of asemics that have yet to be adequately explored.
Thus I am always seeking current, succinct, quotable pieces by Jim Leftwich I can use to represent his views. Many thanks to Marco Giovenale at Slow Forward!
Why would this be called asemic?
In the late 1990s, Tim Gaze and I were not looking for another way of saying 'reader response.'
Asemic Writing was not supposed to be an 'anything goes opportunity.'
The word 'polysemous' works perfectly well for the Wikipedia statement. We knew the word in 1997, and would have used it if it had been appropriate.
Asemic is not meant to give you and me and our 39 thousand friends a chance at every imaginable meaning, an experience wherein anything we want is as good as anything else.
Asemic should return no meanings. We should stare at it, and it should stare back in silence.
The asemic does not speak. It does not give anyone anything that they want.
January 20, 2025
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Asemic Front 2 Top Ten Vispo Faves of 2024
Friends know I would never seriously present my opinions concerning the “Top Ten Visual Poets of 2024” disguised as an objective ranking. However, these end-of-the-year ratings are a staple for bookish blogs. And fun.
I had a great year reviewing, interviewing, writing review-essays & curating for Asemic Front 2 as well as my New Concrete Poetry blog. I seldom write “negative” reviews, and this has been a year of non-stop innovations & breakthroughs in postavant poetics. So I believe my 2024 fave list will expose you to some of the most exciting poets & artists working today.
As 2024 fades, I present my list (not in any real order) of annual highlights for 2024 at AF2. The list is based on articles and work curated on the blog during 2024.
AF2 2024 Top 10 Vispo Faves
1 Collected (minimalist concrete poetry) by Charlotte Jung (Sweden/USA). Review. Full-length collection published by Timglaset (Sweden 2023). (AF2 November 12, 2024).
2 Light Pours In by Amy Rodriguez (Arkansas, USA). Review. Chapbook published in the Anhinga Press Visual Poetry Series (Florida, USA 2024). (AF2 July 21, 2024).
3 “Hyperreality, Simulation, Simulacra & the Metasemic: Recent Work by Kristen Szumyn (Australia).” Essay-review, gallery. (AF 2 September 23, 2024).
4 “The Lettrist Presence in Current Vispo: Serse Luigetti (Italy).” Review/essay & gallery. (AF2 August 7, 2024).
5 Wars by Angela Caporaso (Italy). Review. Chapbook published by above/ground press (Canada 2024). (AF2 July 9, 2024).
6 “The New Object Poetry & Terri Witek’s (Florida, USA) ‘materiality series.’” Interview/review & gallery. (AF2 August 12, 2024).
7 “Neoglyphics & Other Recent Asemics” by John Richard McConnochie (Australia). AF2 Gallery: digital asemics. (AF2 September 14, 2024).
8 Glitchy Women (glitchtext anthology). Review, gallery. Full-length anthology. Van Vliet Gallery (Vermont, USA 2024). (AF2 May 14, 2024).
9 “Ferran Destemple’s (Spain) Asemic Erasure of William S. Burroughs’ The Soft Machine.” Review, gallery. (AF2 August 7, 2024).
10 Colorways: Poems & Images by Andrew Brenza (NY, USA). Review. Full-length collection in the Anhinga Press Visual Poetry Series (Florida, USA). (AF2 April 20, 2024).
- De Villo Sloan
December 18, 2024
Elbridge, NY
De Villo Sloan is a concrete poet who lives in Upstate New York and writes about postavant art & lit. He is director of the Winifred & De Villo Sloan, Jr. Charitable Fund.
