By Ben Irwin
A singular creative exchange happens in front of a painting, a silent negotiation between what the artist placed on a board or canvas and the viewer’s interpretation of the work. On a First Friday evening in Fort Collins, that moment inspired additional artistic expression in the form of poetry.
On April 3, local poets, including members of the GuloGulo Poetry Collective, performed ekphrastic poetry inspired by paintings in Michael Saffran’s solo exhibition, Possibilities, at the Cornerstone Gallery as part of a mid-reception event. What unfolded was less a performance than a conversation, art answering art, across media.
Ekphrasis, from the Greek ek (out) and phrazein (to speak), is the literary response to a work of visual art. It is one of the oldest forms in the Western literary tradition, dating to Homer’s description of Achilles’ shield in the Iliad and Keats’s famous Ode to a Grecian Urn. But ekphrasis is not merely a description. The Cornerstone Gallery event underscored the power of a form that has the potential to forge unexpected connections, slow down perception, and more deeply consider the narratives of things we might otherwise only glance at.
“I love collaboration, and ekphrasis is such a beautiful way to do that…(it) reflects our best effort to engage and live with each other in mutual growth and understanding.”
Outgoing Fort Collins Poet Laureate Melissa Mitchell reads her poem near Michael Saffran’s Crepuscule
Since 2003, Michael Saffran has made the Rocky Mountains home, and his acrylic paintings carry that residency in their bones. They are applied to handmade canvases and are born from attentiveness to the natural world’s geometry, rhythm, and form, fused with the pure language of music. As a young person, poetry was among Michael’s first methods of artistic expression, and literary storytelling is often still a point of departure for his work. The exhibition title, Possibilities, is not incidental. Michael’s paintings hold open space for interpretation, for feeling, for the expanded sense of time and imagery, which made them, as it turned out, irresistible material for poets.
As a local artist and GuloGulo member, Cornerstone Gallery Curator Christine Hogg sees writing as an integral part of her creative process, and in particular, poetry has served as an important medium for Christine to convey abstract thoughts that more accurately represent the energy, atmosphere, or essence of a moment. Said Christine, “The connection between visual art and poetry is among the richest webs whose strands you want to follow…or perhaps, among the deepest stack of layers of overgrowth or pile of leaves you want to explore in, around, and through. When Michael mentioned he was interested in working with local musicians and poets to help illustrate the influence both mediums have had on his artwork, it was too good of an opportunity to pass up.”
When engaging Michael’s painting, Crepuscule, outgoing Fort Collins Poet Laureate Melissa Mitchell responded to both title and form. “I had so much fun with Michael’s piece,” said Melissa, “’Crepuscular’ is a word that I happen to enjoy. Particularly in reference to raccoons and the idea of activity under the cover of darkness, and the potential for comedy that comes with it. But I saw this painting and the shapes and colors and it made me consider a different tone: round edges, black and blue and rust and yellow. So I looked up the word and its etymology to consider it more deeply. I found the idea of twilight and dawn living together, an endless cycle, beckoning to each other, the idea of opposites taken far enough being the same thing. And that’s where the poem emerged.”
For GuloGulo poet Val I. Vanderburgh, the creative connection to Michael’s painting Variables was immediate. Said Val, “…I zeroed in on the tiny cluster of green shapes about one-third of the way down from the top of the painting. For half a second that portion of the painting evoked the lightbulb in Pablo Picasso’s Guernica, and from there the deeper significance of that similarity washed over me. It seems to me that Variables is a contemporary redo of Guernica, as the latter has been translated through time and place to arrive, reformulated, in the present.”
Val performing near Michael Saffran’s Variables
“For me, working across genres and disciplines is the key to making good art. So I’m very grateful for the opportunity to have participated in this event and look forward to even more!”
When GuloGulo member Alexa Rose Ericson first received the invitation to collaborate with Michael’s work, she was thrilled. Said Alexa, “I really value and enjoy when different modalities come together to expand in creativity, and it’s a rewarding opportunity to meet other local artists whose talents can challenge and bolster my own. The painting I responded to, Geometric Wilderness, is visually incredible, and it was touching to read my poem aloud for the community, standing right next to Michael’s piece.”
“I hope to get involved in more opportunities like this in the future!”
Michael and Alexa stand near Michael’s painting Geometric Wilderness
You can expect more collaborative expression at future exhibitions at Cornerstone Gallery, which is located within the Masonic Event Center (225 W. Oak St.). “Now that the collaboration between the exhibiting artist, local poets, and our events team has demonstrated what can be executed in this new venue, I’m excited to create similar events at Cornerstone,” said Christine, “Furthermore, the poets who have presented their work as part of Michael’s show have been great collaborative peers. Currently, I speak with each of the exhibiting artists in our initial planning about their interests in collaborations and ideas for their public receptions. I hope more will be interested in connecting with our local writers in the future.”
Exhibitions like Possibilities and the integration of poetry matter not because they are unusual, but because they remind us how natural it is for art forms, and community members, to reach toward each other. In her closing remarks at the poetry reading, Christine thanked those in attendance for being “neighbors” who helped impact and influence the work simply by being present supporters of the community. “That truly struck a cord,” said Alexa, “I hope to get involved in more opportunities like this in the future!”
“I love collaboration, and ekphrasis is such a beautiful way to do that,” said Melissa, “It opens up the conversation, deepens and widens the meaning. That back and forth reflects our best effort to engage and live with each other in mutual growth and understanding.”
“Doing an ekphrastic poem like this was really special,” said Val, “Not only did the call of the piece challenge me to think outside the bounds of my normal practice, but also the community aspect, culminating in an intimate performance in a gallery space perfectly curated for it, colored the whole experience much more vibrantly than merely doing this individually. For me, working across genres and disciplines is the key to making good art. So I’m very grateful for the opportunity to have participated in this event and look forward to even more!”
Attendees to the April 3 ekphrastic poetry reading at
Michael Saffran’s Possibilities exhibit at the Cornerstone Gallery
Possibilities remains on view at Cornerstone Gallery (Thursdays 2–6 PM, Fridays 5–9 PM) through May 2. A closing reception is scheduled for Friday, May 1, and will include additional poetry readings. The exhibition is free and open to the public. Reach out to gallery@focomasonic.com with questions.
GuloGulo extends its gratitude to Michael Saffran, Christine Hogg and Cornerstone Gallery, and every poet who brought their listening and their language to the space.
You can explore Michael’s work further atmjsaf.com or follow him on Instagram at @michael_j_safran and on Facebook. You can follow the Cornerstone Gallery on Instagram at @cornerstone.foco and on Facebook.
And don’t forget to follow GuloGulo on Instagram at @gulogulopoetry, and check out our Calendar of Events for upcoming readings and meetings of the Journey of the Poem.
