What happens when we make words out of art? Is it the same as making art out of words? The "genre" or "practice" of writing in response to visual art is known under the broader term of "ekphrasis".
As well as a selection of resources and examples of ekphrasis, the site is home to an archive of written works produced as part of the Words at the Black Swan writing workshop project, co-founded by curator Kim Wood and writer Crysse Morisson in 2013. The archive exists as a virtual gallery arranged by session, where the artworks are displayed next to the “wordworks” they inspired.
The project was formed as a regular writing workshop taking place at the Black Swan Arts gallery in Frome, Somerset, UK. Under the guidance of a workshop leader, participants are asked to respond to artworks in the gallery.
Kim Wood 2015
‘But art requires a distance: let me be
Always the connoisseur of your perfection.
Stay where the spaces of the gallery
Flow calm between your pose and my inspection,
Lest one imperfect gesture make demands
As troubling as the touch of human hands.’
Adrienne Rich, extract from ‘Love in the Museum
For more information about the ‘Words in the Gallery’ project or comments please contact me. Kim Wood at wordsinthegallery@gmail.com
The next ‘Words at the Black Swan’ session is on
Monday 24th July
3 – 4.30 pm
Workshop leader: Louise Green
in response to SKETCH 2017, 100 artists’ sketchbooks
Open to all, no booking is required
£5 on the day
Location: Black Swan Arts, Bridge St, Frome BA11 1BB