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The implicit problem that these tendencies (vispo and videopoetry) have thus far failed to solve in any consistent manner has been the formal definition of their own territory, as such, as distinct from the various other art forms that often influence & inform them." – (Ron) Silliman's Blog, August 03, 2009
The implicit problem that these tendencies (vispo and
videopoetry) have thus far failed to solve in any
consistent manner has been the formal definition of
their own territory, as such, as distinct from the various
other art forms that often influence & inform them.
(Ron) Sillimans Blog, August 03, 2009
VIDEOPOETRY: A MANIFESTO
by TOM KONYVES
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Grateful thanks to all who made this possible.
In the spring of 1978, my friends Endre Farkas and Ken Norris, of our ‘group of 7’ – The Vehicule Poets –
for their participation in my first videopoem, Sympathies of War. Herman Berlandt, Director of the San
Francisco Poetry Film Workshop, who drew a line in the sand when he informed me that he wouldn’t
look at Sympathies of War because ‘We don’t recognize video. We work only in film.’ Michael Konyves,
aged 7, who performed as General Misunderstanding in Ubu’s Blues and held signs in See/Saw. Steve
McCaffery. Stephen Morrissey, who published my essay on videopoetry in The Insecurities of Art, 1981.
Heather Haley, Vancouver media artist, Visible Verse festival curator, faithful supporter for many years.
Vancouver videopoet Susan Cormier, for her confidence in this work. Dean of Arts, Jacqueline Nolte,
whose encouragement led to Word and Image, a course in visual creative writing at the University of the
Fraser Valley. Brad Whittaker, Research Office, UFV. Kin spirit, George Aguilar, whose archive of video
poems and cin(e)poetry in San Francisco was invaluable to my research. David Jhave Johnston,
multimedia/digital poet of the exquisite short, for his funnybone and suggestions for order. Chicago
video artist, e-poet and theoretician, Kurt Heintz, for the endless hours of inspired discussion. Richard
Kostelanetz, for access to his home and his many works in and on this genre. Javier Robledo, organizer of
the Videobardo Videopoetry Festival and Archive in Buenos Aires, for VIP hospitality and five days of
screenings. William C. Wees, Professor Emeritus of English at McGill University in Montreal, editor of The
Canadian Journal of Film Studies, for his generosity to discuss some aspects of this at length and
introducing me to David Foster’s work on adapting poetry to film, Toronto filmmaker Richard Hancox
Waterworx, Peter Todd, filmmaker and curator of the London Film Poems Series, and Arthur Lipsett’s
Very Nice, Very Nice. Al Razutis for Visual Essays. Thomas Zandegiacomo Del Bel, for access to the vast
archive at the Zebra Poetry Film Festival in Berlin. The Hungarian connection, Tibor Papp, Paul Nagy and
George Galantai’s amazing documentation and research centre, Artpool in Budapest. Eduard Escoffet, for
his work in sonorous poetry in Barcelona. Lionel Kearns, a pioneer and friend, and Jim Andrews, vispo, for
rescuing bp nichol’s First Screening. George Bowering, for his performance in Lost in the Library. Michael
Snow, for So Is This. Toronto Intermedia artist, W. Mark Sutherland, for his encouragement from the
start. Eric Cassar, for inventing the videohaiku. Visual poet and meta-blogger, Geof Huth, for asking all the
right questions. Ron Silliman, L=A=N=G=U=A=G=E poet, critic, Poet Laureate of the Blogosphere, for the
kick-start to this. Tony Trehy, for the Text Festival evening of videopoetry in Bury. UK artwriter
extraordinaire, Tamarin Norwood, for her near-translations and in-sightful comments. Portuguese video
artist, Rui Silveira, for translating Oyvind Fahlström into a one-sentence videopoem. Finnish videopoet,
Jani Sipila, for spreading the word. Eduardo Kac, multimedia, communications and biological artist, for
including E.M. de Melo e Castro’s essay on videopoetry in MEDIA POETRY, Poetic Innovation and New
Technologies. Fil Ieropoulos and Chris Funkhauser for historical analysis. Chicago poet, Francesco Levato
for works from the Split This Rock Festival. Linden Ontjes, Larissa Moore, for access to Reel to Real,
Seattle. Bart Testa for feedback and guidance concerning issues related to screen text. Alex Konyves, for
his continued technical assistance. Martin Borycki, for mind-bending distractions. Jack Velvet, CITR, for
providing hypnotic musical support. Gary Hill, whose early experiments were most instructive. Mel
Vapour, East Bay Media Center, Berkeley. Enzo Minarelli, 3ViTre Archivio di Polipoesia, Cento, Italy.
Parisian poet, researcher, Jean Pierre Balpe, for La Poésie Vidéo ou Vidéo Poésie. Dave Bonta, for the
Moving Poems forum. Sarah Tremlett, for her continued support. German filmmaker Ralf Schmerberg,
who proved that 19 poems from the German literary canon can be brought to the big screen as a feature
film, Poem. Nico Vassilakis. Jérôme Game. Manuel Portela. Juan F. Egea. John M Bennett/Nicolas Carras.
Gary Sherwin. Gary Barwin. Joel Baird. Caterina Davinio. Hubert Sielecki. Victoria Messi. Eric Gamalinda.
Nick Carbo.
Special thanks to my wife, Marlene, my terra firma.
"If I knew what the picture was going to be like I
wouldn’t make it. It was almost like it was made
already... the challenge is more about trying to make
what you cant think of." Cindy Sherman
The writer is entitled to his boomboom.” Tristan Tzara
VIDEOPOETRY: A MANIFESTO
by TOM KONYVES
What follows is intended to distinguish videopoetry from poetry films, film poetry, poemvideos, poetry
videos, cyber-poetry, cine-poetry, kinetic poetry, digital poetry, poetronica, filming of poetry and other
unwieldy neologisms, which have been applied, at one time or another, to describe the treatment of
poetry in film and video but which have also developed different and divergent meanings.
The democratization of the medium realized by the introduction of video technology has, in the last 25
years, only sharpened the initial art vs entertainment debate; in particular, the movement of poetry to
the “big screen” has exposed two conflicting positions – one demystifying the poem by complementary
“visuals”, the other augmenting the suggestive power of poetry by unexpected juxtapositions.
The underlying dichotomy opposes videopoetry – I envision the measured integration of narrative, non-
narrative and anti-narrative juxtapositions of image, text and sound as resulting in a poetic experience –
to works which publish poems (voiced or displayed on-screen) in video format. While the latter are to be
commended for bringing a new audience to poetry, their use of imagery as embellishments to (if not
direct illustrations of) the text, their preference to employ narrative over self-reflexive sequences, their
rejection of contrast, fragmentation, the incongruous and the dissonant, prevent these works from being
considered as models for a new genre of technology-assisted poetry.
Transformations in expression and in modes of
communication cannot exist without influencing the
transformation of poetry itself. Jean-Marie Gleize
Of its definition.
Of its definition.
Videopoetry is a genre of poetry displayed on a screen, distinguished by its time-based, poetic
juxtaposition of images with text and sound. In the measured blending of these three elements, it
produces in the viewer the realization of a poetic experience.
Presented as a multimedia object of a fixed duration, the principal function of a videopoem is to
demonstrate the process of thought and the simultaneity of experience, expressed in words visible
and/or audible – whose meaning is blended with, but not illustrated by, the images and the soundtrack.
Progress in any aspect is a movement through changes
of terminology.” Wallace Stevens
Of the term.
Of the term.
Videopoetry is one word; it is not separated or hyphenated. As one word, it indicates that a fusion of the
visual, the verbal and the audible has occurred, resulting in a new, different form of poetic experience. As
one word, it recognizes that a century of experiments with poetry in film and video – poems introduced
to motion pictures as intertitles, then as kinetic texts, as images illustrating voiced texts (some excluding
visual or voiced text entirely), poems performed in front of a camera, poems as text superimposed over
images is the narrative of a gradual movement from the tenuous, anxious relationship of image and
text to their rare but perceptible synthesis, i.e., from poetry films to film poems to poetry videos to
videopoetry.
As an amalgam of Latin (video) and Greek (poetry) origins, “videopoetry” combines the best of two
classical traditions: making poetry with technological innovation.
As a closed compound noun, “video” not only functions to modify “poetry”, it alters its meaning.
Therefore, videopoetry is more than a term of convenience; it asserts that a poem is being created
without the linear story-telling style of many “poetry videos” (which are made primarily to promote
poems in print, using images directly representing the descriptions and actions in the text and are
assembled in the conventional narrative form of movie-making). While a videopoem is, in fact, a “movie”,
its intention is to provide an alternative that is non-narrative, sometimes anti-narrative, even ante-
narrative.
Of its constraints.
Of its constraints.
Text, displayed on-screen or voiced, is an essential element of the videopoem. A work which does not
contain visible or audible text could be described as poetic, as an art film or video art, but not as a
videopoem.
Imagery in a videopoem – including on-screen text – does not illustrate the voiced text.
I tried constantly to find something which would not
recall what had happened before. Marcel Duchamp
Of narrativity.
Of narrativity.
Videopoetry recognizes that narrative moments whether presented as individual elements or a
combination of text, image or sound encourage the viewer’s engagement; to sustain the poetic
experience, some narrativity is necessary as a structural device. (A non-narrative element juxtaposed
with another non-narrative element for an extended period of time may result in distancing the viewer
from the work.) From scene to scene, narrativity propels the work forward, providing context for the
viewer during the process of the poetic experience. The distance traveled, the time elapsed, the voices
heard, the images seen, are measured out with what best suits the poetic direction of a particular
moment the awareness that when the narrative moment has reached its usefulness, a deliberate
disruption must occur, must appear, must sever the forward movement toward which the narrative will
always conspire. The viewer’s expectations of eventfulness are, by turns, satisfied and subverted;
meaning is eventually derived from the effect of the repeated movement from the narrative to the non-
narrative elements of the work.
Bringing together two things into a previously untried
juxtaposition is the surest way of developing new vision.”
Andre Breton
Of poetic juxtaposition.
Of poetic juxtaposition.
In the assembly (editing or “montage”) phase, syntactical decisions are made to render image-text-sound
juxtapositions as a metaphor for simultaneous “meanings” which the viewer interprets as a poetic
experience. These decisions are based on presenting the 3 elements as distant realities (often arrived at
through chance operations) whose relationship strikes the viewer as surprising, as always new. It is
imperative that the juxtapositions be consistently perceived as suggestive of indirect relationships
mysterious, oneiric.
The success of each syntactical decision is achieved when the distant realities – the ambiguous or
enigmatic relationship of a particular image to a portion of text, for example are not so distant as to
cause disengagement with the work. The key to a successfully executed poetic juxtaposition is balance,
the weighing of image-text relationships for their suggestive, rather than illustrative qualities, the
determining of durations, the positioning and appearance of text, the treatment of colour, the layering of
the soundtrack, the acceleration or deceleration of elements, etc. Balance, in this scheme, is the
demonstration of control over the narrative impulse.
In film, poetry is opposed to reality.” Luis Bunuel
Of the poetic experience.
Of the poetic experience.
Videopoetry recognizes the power of video for producing and communicating unprecedented and
unlimited associations between image, text and sound.
The viewer is presented with non-illustrative juxtapositions of image, text and sound. As the work
gradually unfolds, it is perceived that the visual (image and/or displayed text) and audible (sound
and/or voiced text) elements are fragmented expressions of the artist’s imagination, suggestive of
meaning, yet denying clarification of the purported meaning – a teasing, vertiginous exploration of
desire.
When the introduction of these fragmented expressions causes an impediment to the narrative flow, the
viewer will either surrender to the symmetry of the disruptions – and participate in the adventure – or
disengage and “tune out”. Provided that the image-text-sound juxtapositions exhibit a pleasing balance
between narrative and non-narrative moments – achieved through strategic, self-referential disruptions,
a demonstration of awareness of the spatial and temporal relationships between elements, intentional
repetitions, etc. – a viewer will experience their sense of time suspended or blurred.
Tension and repose, the "ebb and flow” of narrative and non-narrative moments, may also be
interpreted by the viewer as simultaneity made manifest, while the complexity and significance of
relationships between the presented elements as in dreams, for instance may have to wait to be
resolved.
Always the precious repetition for the joy of recognition.
Oyvind Fahlström
Of rhythm.
Of rhythm.
The poetry in a videopoem is characterized by a discernible rhythm, but it is different from the
traditional written or oral form of poetry: it’s not limited to an attribute of the text element.
Rhythm is the effect produced by the introduction and the subsequent duration of a new portion of
image, text or sound in the process of assembling the work.
Videopoetry also exhibits internal rhythms; enveloped in each appearance of a series of images, on-
screen text or sounds, the viewer discerns patterns specific to the element presented.
Repetitionas a visual or audible device produces the most effective signalling of the presence of
poetry. Its many functions include emphasis, self-reflection, division, regulation or suspension of time,
even a hypnotic quality (especially when prolonged); it is most useful in sustaining the rhythmic
structure and the poetic experience of a work.
The purpose of art is to ask questions.
Lawrence Weiner
Of illustration.
Of illustration.
To see an image as a representation of the audible text or to hear the words as they are displayed on the
screen violates the premise that poetic juxtaposition is the presentation of distant realities; inevitably,
the viewer is prevented from forming their own imaginative associations between the elements
presented, resulting in the demystification of these associations, diminishing the poetic quality and
experience of the work.
Of collaboration.
Of collaboration.
The videopoet is a poet, filmmaker and sound artist combined.
Videopoetry recognizes that production logistics sometimes require a team of individuals to cooperate
during the creation of a work; the genre accommodates both individual and collaborative work,
provided that the work exhibits a unified vision.
Of duration.
Of duration.
Whether composed of multiple scenes or one continuous shot, a videopoem longer than 300 seconds
faces the challenge of sustaining the poetic experience of the viewer. The videohaiku (approx. 30 seconds)
uses a few words of text attached to the shortest duration of images.
Plotless film is poetic film.” – Victor Shklovsky
Of categories.
Of categories.
Differentiated by their use of text, there are 5 major categories of videopoems:
KINETIC TEXT
SOUND TEXT
VISUAL TEXT
PERFORMANCE
CIN(E)POETRY
KINETIC TEXT is the animation of text over a neutral background.
Continuing the ongoing experimentation with text as an aesthetic object, these works owe much to
concrete and patterned poetry in their style the use of different fonts, sizes and colours, strategic
spatial positioning, self-referentiality – simultaneously presenting text as image.
By virtue of its equal acceptance of the semantic and non-semantic, as well as its ability to demonstrate
the destruction, reconstruction and transformation of static words or letters into “characters” which
move (in both senses of the word), the category represents the "prototype” of a videopoem.
SOUND TEXT presents the text on the soundtrack.
Juxtaposed with the video images on the screen, it is expressed through the human voice.
Of the five categories of videopoetry, this form (with or without music) – is the most popular, due to the
facility of working within the traditional form of video/film, i.e., using the voice as the chief mode of text
presentation and juxtaposition with images and other sounds (e.g., music, chant, sound effects, etc.)
without the additional difficulty presented by visual text.
VISUAL TEXT displays the text on-screen, superimposed over images captured or found.
Charged with leading the genre, this category presents the most significant challenge to videopoetry.
For the engaged viewer, the complex relationships and multiplicity of meanings suggested by
juxtapositions of on-screen text with curious, non-illustrative images make extraordinary imaginative
leaps not only possible, but automatic.
PERFORMANCE is the on-screen appearance of the poet, or designated poet (actor), speaking directly or
indirectly into the camera. Of the five categories, it is the most problematic: the poet/performer is
perceived as the intermediary between the viewer and the poem, possibly demystifying the process of
presentation. (Excluding the form of sound poetry, there are many excellent, emotionally moving
representations of “verbal art”, but they are only thatre-presentations of poems, not the poems.) In a
videopoem, on-screen appearances only succeed by virtue of their visual expression (i.e., eccentric body
language)and their juxtaposition within the image frame with a background suggesting a unique,
unusual “setting” for the performance.
CIN(E)POETRY is the videopoem wherein the text is animated and/or superimposed over graphics, still
or moving images that are “painted” or modified with the assistance of computer software, e.g.,
Photoshop, Flash or the 3D modelling and animation features in Second Life, the online virtual world. It
closely resembles VISUAL TEXT, except the imagery has a computer-generated or modified appearance.
The parenthesized “e” (electronic) was introduced by George Aguilar, who works most often in this form.
Individual works may overlap and exhibit combinations of categories.
Of image and the displayed (on-screen) text
Of image and the displayed (on-screen) text.
.
Videopoetry does not differentiate between camera-captured and found images (appropriated from
another source or format); the genre accommodates both.
Videopoetry does not differentiate between concrete (representational) and abstract (non-
representational) content in images; the genre accommodates both.
Abstract images – extreme close-ups of objects, details of hand-made or computer-generated paintings,
out of focus or gel-covered lens shots enable text elements to be placed almost anywhere on the
screen; the more the text stands out in contrast to the image, the more it receives the viewer's immediate
attention, takes precedence over and assigns to the abstract image a supportive role, that of the
background, moving or not. The more the text is blended with an abstract image, the more the viewer is
required to consider a more subtle relationship between the two.
Concrete images require a different approach to displayed text: a still object in a motionless frame
provides surfaces and edges, horizontal, vertical, oblique and curved lines as potential text-spaces; a
moving object in a motionless frame restricts text-space to empty areas.
Of image and special effects.
Of image and special effects.
Advancements in graphic design have refined image-text relationships to the degree that videopoetry, in
terms of innovative juxtapositions, has followed the latest "cutting-edge" commercial/advertising
methods with interest; while some effects, such as floating text or text crawl are still useful, other “high-
end” flip-swoop-wrap-zoom-spin-shake dynamics so clearly refer to product promotion that they have
acquired a secondary symbolic value: the commodification of society.
As alluded to above, videopoetry accommodates both modified and unmodified images; whether an
image is to be modified or not will always depend on the effectiveness of its juxtaposition with text and
sound.
Of the countless effects in post-production (the editing and assembling of the work), two transitions
have proven invaluable: the dissolve and the fade. Both affect the viewer's perception of time.
The (cross) dissolve – the superimposition of one image over another – presents two scenes (one ending,
one beginning) simultaneously; as one of the most common transition effects, it is used primarily to
indicate that a period of time has elapsed between the two scenes.
In videopoetry, when the superimposition is prolonged, it produces a sustained experience of time
suspended while simultaneously signalling the uncontrolled state of dreaming. (Related to these, a
freeze-frame can also be seen as a device that "stops" time, while the split-screen effect enables the
viewer to follow two scenes on the screen simultaneously; yet both are of lesser poetic value than the
dissolve or the fade.)
The fade (or fade-to-black) is used to indicate an end to a scene, usually followed by a fade-in to
introduce the next scene; in videopoetry, we can interpret this effect as the blink of an eye or – when it's
prolonged the shutting of the eyes, followed by "re-awakening" to a new “world” (or at least a new
context/scene in the videopoem).
Of image and motion.
Of image and motion.
In the process of filming, the camera is either locked in position (the still shot), moving with a fluid,
tracking motion or is hand-held. Of these three, the still and fluid-motion shot will not cause a
disengagement with the work; the hand-held camera shot is more problematic.
The unstable image of the hand-held shot becomes a constant reminder of the operation (and operator)
behind the camera; every possible accident of the moment becomes magnified, leaving the viewer
unsure whether drawing attention to camera movement is an oversight or an intentional 'self-referential
disruption'. Of these accidents, it can be argued that an element of chance should be always brought into
play, as it may produce the most unexpected trophies of "found" imagery. The final decision to include or
exclude hand-held shots is determined by their function in the balance act of poetic juxtaposition.
Accelerated motion is often associated with a comic scene; in a videopoem, depending on whether the
action recorded is for atmospheric or illustrative use, the time-lapse effect can be more forgiving.
Slow motion appeals to videopoetry for a number of reasons: the effect suggests a gradual suspension of
time; a dream-like state is evoked; action unfolds like a painting; a perception of reality is emphasized.
In the structure of the videopoem, it functions as punctuation.
Words would be redundant in film if they were used as a
further projection from the image. However, if they were
brought in on a different level, not issuing from the image,
but as another dimension relating to it, then it is the two
things together that make a poem.” Maya Deren
Of text.
Of text.
Videopoetry recognizes that text has the unique capacity to deliver the signs of abstract objects (ideas)
as well as concrete objects to the viewer; as such, it performs the most essential function in a videopoem
– to provide the ideal counterpoint to the elements of image and sound.
Videopoetry recognizes that text – due to its capacity to be displayed on the screen (i.e. freed from its
fixity on the page), found in a captured image or voiced on the soundtrack – is in the propitious position
of enabling the viewer to experience poetry in a time-based visual form; it is the essential catalyst in the
transformation of a work from “poetic” to poetry.
Typically, text is written for the videopoem; in some cases it is “found” and repurposed for the
videopoem.
Used in a videopoem, a previously composed/published poem represents only one element of the
videopoem, the text element. The “poetry” in videopoetry is the result of the judicious juxtaposition of
text with image and sound.
When the text is borrowed from a previously composed/published poem, it must be that the artist has
discovered a new function for the pre-existing text, based on its juxtaposition with certain imagery, or a
certain soundtrack.
In its visual/displayed form, text is "looked at" before read.
The looked-at text applies the strategies derived from concrete poetry, typography, graphic design and
motion graphics. Fonts, the characters of type, are selected for their clarity and suggestiveness, always in
relation to the image presented on the screen. Positioning, motion, duration and method of appearance
(positing by dissolve, pop or typewriter effect, for example) are similarly considered in relation to the
image presented on the screen.
While the demonstration of the variety and versatility of text treatment is proof that new ways of seeing
words performs a poetic function, effects are not prerequisites of videopoetry.
In the relentless manipulations of the appearance of text – from the textured to the malleable, from the
casually handwritten to the finely-chiseled 3-D reflective surfaces – there is a tendency to be
preoccupied with the materiality of the written word, sometimes at the expense of “meaning”.
Read or meaning-driven text, wherein the appearance of words is of lesser importance, narrows the
context of the moment, favouring interior effects over superficial effects. It is the strategic balance of
appearance and meaning in addition to the ‘judicious juxtaposition’ with images and sound that
produces the “poetry” in a videopoem.
Where you have music that doesn't imitate what's on
the screen, but goes against it... is far more interesting
than anything imitative.” Alfred Hitchcock
Of sound.
Of sound.
Videopoetry recognizes that the use of a “soundtrack” significantly augments the sensory perception of
the work; as such, it provides the ideal counterpoint to the elements of image and text in assisting the
viewer to process the effect or meaning of juxtapositions.
The soundtrack is not a prerequisite of videopoetry (silence is an effect and a syntactical decision), but
its presence contributes to a richness of effects and meanings.
The three “branches” of the auditory capacity of the soundtrack are: voiced text, music and sound effects.
Videopoetry does not differentiate between voiced and displayed text; the genre accommodates both.
Voiced text intensifies the videopoem with its range of expression: the "real" voice of the poet provides
an authentic connection to the creator of the work; affected or natural, loud or soft, slurred or
modulated, metallic or cloyingly sweet, passionate or dull, nasal or throaty, the voice of a nightingale or
the filtered voice on the phone, the human voice colours the text with nuance.
On the sound track, the bridge between voiced text and music is occupied by what is commonly termed
sound poetry. Of all the various “imports” or repurposed forms of poetry, these vocalizations emphasize
more aural than semantic qualities and have proved most compatible with the non-narrative objectives
of videopoetry: the declamations, the chants, the recitations of “nonsense words” provide a natural
counterpoint when juxtaposed with abstract images.
Music is a considered, measured “device” in videopoetry; it can be used minimally or sporadically,
overlapping or underlying selected segments. In certain cases, it can be assigned the more demanding
task of delivering the entire soundtrack of the work, from beginning to end, in the form of a score.
Prior to, at the point of, or immediately after a juxtaposition (the introduction of a new element – image,
text or voice), music’s primary function is to intensify, diminish or eliminate the emotional content of a
particular “scene”, thereby altering the viewer’s interpretation of the meaning of the content.
Music which happens to be present during the shooting (diagetic music) serves to identify the content of
a scene as narrative content.
Use of music segments exemplifying specific cultural associations provides cues for the viewer to
identify supplemental meanings in the work.
While music tends to emphasize, accent and generally support narrative scenes, sound effects in
videopoetry are more often than not isolated, disruptive gestures used to highlight incongruous image-
text juxtapositions while contributing dissonance to the internal rhythm of the soundtrack.
Concept videopoems.
Concept videopoems.
Concept or conceptual videopoems focus on the materiality of language, exclude narrative and tend to
hold little of intentional semantic value; “meaning” is attributed to the process of presentation, which
follows a pre-conceived formula (the idea), often executed in a methodical technical manner.
The dominating element is text; its content is gathered from sourced information: found phrases,
statements, lists, etc.
The text element in these works is strong on context but stripped of emotive value.
The viewer may not perceive development or change of perspective throughout the work, as heightening
or diminishing effects are superseded by the intention to present an object of examination – the process
of presentation – in a pure self-referential state.
Of translation.
Of translation.
Texts in videopoems should be provided in multiple languages; in DVD format, the viewer should be able
to select the preferred language. SOUND TEXT videopoems should provide translation as subtitles,
optimized for legibility: white, sans-serif font on a separate display below the screen or yellow with black
outline at the bottom of the screen.
In the subtitling process, the accurate synchronization of audio and subtitle is essential.
VISUAL TEXT videopoems should provide translation on a separate display below the screen; if the
visual text is one or two words, the subtitle should be positioned close to the side of the on-screen text.
The subtitles should be synchronized to appear with the on-screen text.
In cases where the foreign language uses both SOUND TEXT and VISUAL TEXT, the subtitles of the
VISUAL TEXT should be synchronized to appear with the on-screen text, using a colour different from the
SOUND TEXT subtitles.
©2011 Tom Konyves
... Scholar Irit Rogoff (2005), who is also classically trained, has moved beyond pure art criticism and conducted research on various visual cultures and their participatory ideals for a few decades now. For Nicholas Mirzoeff (2017;2023), who has been greatly influenced by cultural studies, however, the boundaries between high and popular culture no longer existto be more precise, he actually renounces the addressing of any differences. Today, both visual culture studies and poetry research have resolved this distinction as it does not seem to serve any valid function and, moreover, does not account for a great variety of contemporary poetic forms. ...
... Pflock 2022, 223-227). Poetry film displays multilayered aesthetic elements simultaneously, e.g., written or spoken poetry and moving pictures (see Konyves 2012;Orphal 2014;Tremlett 2021). Here, reading processes break with linearity and the chronology of the solitary reader focusing on a book page and left-justified, black-and-white, text-only poemsan outdated image of poetry that remains prevalent, despite the genre's manifold forms. ...
... dimensions of writing, books, and film, and, furthermore, practices of watching, seeing, and reading, as well as dynamics of cultural visibility and invisibility (cf. Davis 2018, 197;Dencker 2011, 863-864;Stiegler 2014, 160; see also Bucher 2012;Cancik-Kirschbaum et al. 2012;Horstkotte and Leonhard 2006;Mergenthaler 2002;Mirzoeff 2017;2023). This volume's contributions explore these aspects of visuality in the form of case studies of recent poetry books and films as well as digital and social media poetry in order to examine their aesthetic effects and political implications. ...
... However, not all videos belong to the genre of video poetry, but also exist in some creative works that share the genre, such as the audiovisual pieces that complement, juxtapose or merge text, image, and sound, promoting a poetic experience [13,15] . Therefore, art discourse and video poetry are incorporated into the creative project through new media. ...
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