Art is everywhere: in the bark patterns of sycamore and poplar trees, in peeling hydrangea limbs, in striations of sandstone, but also in the deckled pages and worn spine of a book, in the rusty-hairball carpet stain, and the overlapping residue that has built up in the bathtub from different bars of soap. We will close-read images and write drafts inspired by subjects that do not fall within the confines of traditional genres of visual art, stretching the boundaries of influences and approaches commonly employed in ekphrasis. We can also look to images that are overtly commodified —for instance, billboards, signage, cover art on food boxes, candy wrappers; national or state symbols like an old driver’s license, a state seal, a state flag. We can look at stamps, patches, a cast with scribbles on it, street art, biker-gang leathers, tattoos, a body scar, a stain on a Celotex ceiling tile, a flaw in a pattern on a salad plate, a still shot from a movie, a graphic novel or comic pane. Using prompts and other influences we'll compose will allow you to write from a true state of the uncomfortable unknown, which is the best place to be when starting a poem draft.
