This new collage is called Off the Beaten Track and is a response to a short poem by Sarah Davies on the subject of her dyslexia. The work will appear in an exhibition highlighting the subject of dyslexia, via poetry and visual art, to be held at Crewe Lifestyle Centre (CW1 2BB) from 4th August to 10th August.
The standard of artwork is very high and I’m grateful for the chance to be part of this project (tip of the hat to Helen Kay).
Off the Beaten Track (mixed media collage 90cms x 60 cms)
I have incorporated the two verses in Sarah’s untitled poem. Verse one is repeated twice in the top half and verse two is repeated twice in the lower half. I was struck by her rope climbing metaphor and by her athletics track metaphor.
I couldn’t climb the snaky rope / I couldn’t monkey up the tree / I spent years tripping over myself / Every motion made me dizzy
I am fascinated by the processing of images that went into the making of sports and film annuals in the 1950s. The crude airbrushing over photographs gives a unique presence to the images. I have tweaked and subverted some of the cut-outs. The reclining speakers of the second and last verse are culled from an old Russian expressionist painting.
There wasn’t a chance that I could catch / Slept cross-legged at the edge of the track / Never ran in the sports day race / Never took the risk that I’d come last
Ted x