‘Poetry Beyond Text: vision, text and cognition’ is an exhibition created from a two-year research project exploring how we read, view and interpret the visual aspects of poetry. The exhibition, which is on show at Moray Art Centre from Tuesday 9 August until 1 October, has just arrived from the Scottish Poetry Library then continues on tour to Royal Scottish Academy, Edinburgh, in October.

The multi-disciplinary research project funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council and based at the Universities of Dundee and Kent used methods and ideas from literary criticism, aesthetics, experimental psychology, fine art and creative practice to study how readers respond to hybrid works which combine the textual with the visual, including digital poetry, concrete and visual poetry, artists’ books, text film and books of poetry combined with photography.

Visual poetry is an experimental genre that uses not just words, but also properties such as space, colour, line, and typography to create meaning. It challenges us to ask what poetry is and how different styles of textual presentation change our readings.

Artist books are artworks that use the material form of the book as a medium of creative expression. In contrast to fine press printing or illustrated editions, the visual, tactile and aesthetic features of artist books are not secondary to their textual content. Indeed, many artist books do not contain words but rather work with images, papers, shapes, and folds, to encourage the experience of interacting with the book as an object.

A large part of the project looked at the ‘materiality’ of poetry and word; how we register the differences between media. For example, the way that the cover of a book feels or looks can determine whether we pick it up and enjoy reading it, and the brightness and speed of electronic images can determine whether we stay on one site or click our way to another.

The free exhibition at Moray Art Centre will present a selection of work from the project including poetry, photography, art, sculpture and artists’ books. Contributing poets and artists include Will Mclean, John Burnside, Amy Shelton, Robert Sheppard, Thomas A. Clark, Marion Leven, Robin Robertson, Marion Smith Deryn Rees-Jones.

Scott Byrne, Exhibitions & Programming Manager said, “Poetry Beyond Text is an elegant and stimulating exhibition in the blurring of boundaries between art and text. Featuring a combination of intriguing artist books and engaging contemporary prints and photographs, the exhibition challenges convention by questioning the very nature of poetry as we think we know it. We have to thank Practical Car & Van Hire – Glenburgie Cars for sponsoring the exhibition. Without local business support Moray Art Centre would not be able to bring major exhibitions like this to the region.”

Throughout the exhibition Moray Art Centre will be hosting a number of events, classes and family art classes in-conjunction with the exhibition. Further information about the project and their online gallery can be found at : http://www.poetrybeyondtext.org/.

Moray Art Centre Summer opening hours: Tues – Fri 10 – 5pm, Sat 10 – 4pm