{"id":1036,"date":"2011-10-31T10:08:59","date_gmt":"2011-10-31T18:08:59","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/heatherhaley.com\/onelife\/?p=1036"},"modified":"2011-10-31T10:08:59","modified_gmt":"2011-10-31T18:08:59","slug":"visible-verse-festival-2011-%e2%80%a2-art-or-entertainment-do-i-really-have-to-choose","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/heatherhaley.com\/hh2\/?p=1036","title":{"rendered":"Visible Verse Festival 2011 \u2022 Art or Entertainment; do I really have to choose?"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Well, you can\u2019t please them all. I’ve heard the festival criticized for being arty<\/em>, while others complain its emphasis is entertainment. My challenge of course is to showcase works from the vanguard while drawing people in; people, as in audience. Populist by nature, I don\u2019t view myself as an arbiter. I’m a exhibitor, and while discerning, feel strongly it\u2019s vital to be democratic, as inclusive as possible, which is not to say my criteria are not exacting. Neither are they elitist. I seek innovation, my main criterion artistic merit.<\/p>\n

Videopoetry<\/em> or poetry video<\/em>. Film or video? And then there is cinema<\/em> to consider. I find semantics tedious. My reaction to the insistence there be a formal definition of the genre, is, why? Don’t we have enough divides? We live in the age of the mashup. Isn’t that merging? Fusion? Transformation? In any case, I have faith in the poet\u2019s ability to render his or her poem. It would be awfully tedious if everyone made videopoems according to a formula. Via video or film, a poet will explore, push the boundaries of image, language and sound. Whether it\u2019s illustrative<\/em> or conceptual<\/em>, I trust the poet to make choices, to create a work according to his individual style and sensibilities. Vision. While I can\u2019t abide clich\u00e9 or literal translations, surely there\u2019s room for both narrative and non-narrative treatments. One man\u2019s execution is another man\u2019s experiment. One man\u2019s amusement is another man\u2019s pith.<\/p>\n

As an artist, I don\u2019t make a huge distinction between film and video, think more in terms of moving images. I do favor the term videopoem<\/em> because fusion of verse and medium is my goal, and video is accessible and affordable, vital considerations for this poet. Also, video lends itself to hybridization, its history of experimentation a fundamental aspect of the medium. At last year\u2019s festival, our tenth, a panel discussion called Seeing the Voice: the Evolution of Videopoetry from Cocteau to YouTube<\/em>, became bogged down at one point in definition. “What is a videopoem?” I know one when I see one. Always. And they’re rare. In 1999, as one of the founders of the Vancouver Videopoem Festival, I ventured, it’s is a wedding of word and image. For me, voice is the critical element, beyond text, medium. But that\u2019s just me. My aesthetic choice.<\/p>\n

I hope you will come to see, hear and decide for yourself. This year my Pacific Cin\u00e9math\u00e8que<\/a> colleagues and I proudly present two days of poetry On Screen and On Stage. Friday, Nov 4, the night’s program is a wild ride of more than 35 short films and videos from Canada, the U.S., Europe, and Asia<\/p>\n

Saturday, Nov 5, 4 pm,\u00a0 we facilitate an Artist Talk with visionary videopoet Tom Konyves,<\/a> who has just penned Videopoety: A Manifesto<\/em><\/a> and will have signed hard copies available. Immediately following I am happy to host a Visiting Poets reading with Alexander Jorgensen<\/a> from Pennsylvania and Rich Ferguson<\/a> from California. Other artists in attendance at the festival this year include Kath MacLean<\/a>, Britt Hobart, Joe Boyce Burgess<\/a>, Dennis E. Bolen<\/a> and Michael Rouse. Find details here<\/a>, and here is this year’s program.<\/p>\n

One Art<\/em> Elizabeth Bishop\/John D. Scott\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a02011\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0Ithaca, NY
\nNDNSpam Song<\/em> Cheryl L\u2019Hirondelle\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a02010\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0Toronto, ON
\nDoo-Da-Doo-Da<\/em> Kath MacLean\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a02011\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0Edmonton, AB
\nKavandi Bearer<\/em> Jill Battson\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a01994\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0Toronto, ON
\nGRAF<\/em> Zion\/Eklipze\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a02011 \u00a0\u00a0 Toronto, ON
\nEmily Melting<\/em> Alastair Cook\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a02010\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0Edinburgh, Scotland
\nAche In My Name<\/em> Vivek Shraya\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a02011\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0Toronto, ON
\nLingual Ladies <\/em> Adeena Karasick\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a02008\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0New York, NY
\ndollhouse<\/em> Shabnam Piryaei\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a02010\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0New York, NY
\nOn Edward Hopper\u2019s Automat <\/em> H.K. Hummel\/Swoon Bildos\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a02011\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0Mechelen, Belgium
\nCommands<\/em> Diana Heise\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a02010\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0North Hero, VT
\nWe Voice Sing<\/em> Rich Ferguson\/Bo Blount\/Bo Blount\/Luca Dipierro \u00a0\u00a0 \u00a02010 Los Angeles, CA
\nPoetry In Motion<\/em> Brandon Wint\/Craig Allen Conoley\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a02011\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0Ottawa, ON
\nI My Bike <\/em> Ken Paul Rosenthal\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a02002\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0San Francisco, CA
\n.\/still<\/em> Machi Miyahara\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a02011\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0Tokyo, Japan
\nThe Next War<\/em> Robert Priest\/Allen Booth\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a02008\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0Toronto, ON
\nbarefeet<\/em> Sonali Gulati\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a02002\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0Richmond, VA<\/p>\n

INTERMISSION<\/p>\n

Sandpiper<\/em> Elizabeth Bishop\/John D. Scott\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a02011\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0Ithaca, NY
\nPenitentiary<\/em> Doctor Mongo\/Michael Rouse\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a02010\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0Los Angeles, CA
\nStop the War on the Poor<\/em> Robert Priest\/Allen Booth\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a01999\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0Toronto, ON
\nTeacups & Mink<\/em> Leanne Averbach\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a02008\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0Vancouver, BC
\nThe Self as Both Object and Subject <\/em> Myna Wallin\/Henry Mak\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a02011\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0Toronto, ON
\nBlue Covers<\/em> Indira Allegra \u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a02008\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0Oakland, CA
\nAmicable Depictions<\/em> Britt Hobart\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a02011\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0Santa Barbara, CA
\nAnticipated Results <\/em> Dennis E. Bolen\/Susan Cormier\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a02011\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0Vancouver, BC
\nWhat do animals dream?<\/em> Yahia Lababidi\/Swoon Bildos\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a02011\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0Mechelen, Belgium
\nHighway Coda <\/em> Matt Mullins\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a02011\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0Muncie, IN
\nIncident on College Street<\/em> Jill Battson\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a01994\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0Toronto, ON
\nJust Watch<\/em> Janet Marie Rogers\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a02011\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0Victoria, BC
\nProdigal<\/em> Alastair Cook\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a02011\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0Edinburgh, Scotland
\nOn the Other Hand of Time <\/em> Penn Kemp\/Brenda McMorrow\/DennisSiren <\/a>2011\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0London, ON
\nBlack Iris <\/em> Sheila Packa\/Kathy McTavish\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a02011 \u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0Duluth, MN
\nStockholm Syndrome<\/em> Howie Good\/Swoon Bildos\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a02011\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0Mechelen, Belgium
\nHuman Condition <\/em> Rich Ferguson\/Mark Wilkinson.\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a02010\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0Los Angeles, CA
\nSleepdancing (Giddoo)<\/em> Yahia Lababidi\/Swoon Bildos\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a02011\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0Mechelen, Belgium
\nGargoyle Weather <\/em> Joe Boyce Burgess\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a02011\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0Vancouver, BC<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Well, you can\u2019t please them all. I’ve heard the festival criticized for being arty, while others complain its emphasis is entertainment. My challenge of course is to showcase works from the vanguard while drawing people in; people, as in audience. Populist by nature, I don\u2019t view myself as an arbiter. I’m a exhibitor, and while […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[10],"tags":[149,352,353,359],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/heatherhaley.com\/hh2\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1036"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/heatherhaley.com\/hh2\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/heatherhaley.com\/hh2\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/heatherhaley.com\/hh2\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/heatherhaley.com\/hh2\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1036"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/heatherhaley.com\/hh2\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1036\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/heatherhaley.com\/hh2\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1036"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/heatherhaley.com\/hh2\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1036"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/heatherhaley.com\/hh2\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1036"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}