[ISEA2002] Artist Statement: Giselle Beiguelman — Poetrica

Artist Statement

Poetrica is a series of visual “post-poems.” The process for composing these pieces involves using algebraic operations and non-alphabetic fonts (system fonts and dings). This process results in “imagetic” meanings and what I call “post-poems.” They do not aim to make textual meaning emerge from the visual surface by the way concrete and visual poetry did. Poetrica generally aims at just the opposite: to create visual meaning from non-textual characters, exploring new boundaries of non-phonetic language. Every no-poem has in its title the equation that was typed before the sequences of operations (additions, superpositions, divisions, etc.). In addition, each no-poem has a colophon, placed at the bottom, specifying the name of the font, size of the font, and whether or not it has a vector effect. Conceived for PDAs, the Web, and for unusual dimensions of paper and printing methods (like plotters and stickers), Poetrica also explores contexts of reading and perception. Even when re-sized and saved as something “new”, they are always made of the same information. Said another way, they are all second generation originals.

Poetrica has among its sources of inspiration: Rafael Lain, Brazilian typographer, author of some fonts used here, “Introduction to the Letter T”, poem by Barrett Watten (Sun & Moon Classics, 2000) and “desbragada”, by Edgar Braga (org. Regis Bonvicino, 1984). In some ways, Poetrica develops some issues that I explored in my first cyber-work (The Book after the Book – www.desvirtual.com/thebook, 1999). The epigraph of that work was: “@++ #e !n+ersc+!OnS o, wOr&$ @Symbol$ we 96eg!n +O re&e, !ne Our 960un&er!eSn” (at the intersections of words and symbols we begin to redefine our boundaries …) Poetrica has this statement in its core… Poetrica for handhelds is at AvantGo and is available by its web site.  desvirtual.com/poetrica

  • Giselle Beiguelman is a multimedia essayist and web-artist who lives in Sao Paulo, Brazil, where she was born. She teaches Digital Culture in the Communication and Semiotics Graduatiom Program at the PUC-SP. Since 1998, she has run desvirtual.com, an creative studio. Her work includes The Book after the Book”, Content = No Cache and Wop Art, among others. She has been presenting her web works in exhibits, festivals and scientific events devoted to new media art, like Net-condition (ZKM, Germany), Netoras (MECAD, Ba~elone)E, -Poetry (Buffalo, EUA) ArteICidade (Sao Paulo) and the 25th SP Bienlal. For more information on the artist and her work, please got to: desvirtual.com.