During 2005 I first discovered and found inspiration in the sheer joy and playful creativity in the works of the
poet and author Vagn Steen. During the sixties he was one of the first
Danish poets to make use of a computer in composing a poem and in our
digital age I have found some fascination in the hands on aspect of the
cardboard punch cards that were used to programme computers at the
time.
Many of his poems are structured by their (typo)graphic layout and I was wondering how these graphic poems might be presented through the medium of sound alone.
Here, for example, is one of the first experiments, based on his poem "læse spytte tænke".
See some of Vagns poems in versions for the web by Christian Yde Frostholm
Also take a look at some very inspiring examples of Swedish concrete poetryfrom CYF's website:
afsnit p.
For an interesting example of concrete poetry taking place at the other side of the world see South African Willem Boshoff's KYKAFRIKAANS which has also recently been given an aural interpretation.
The various experiments eventually led to the creation of a Lydfabet - a journey through the Danish alphabet which you can read (and hear) more about elsewhere on this site.
Below an example of an excerpt based on the letters of Vagn's name:
v.a.g.n._s.t.e.e.n.
Many of his poems are structured by their (typo)graphic layout and I was wondering how these graphic poems might be presented through the medium of sound alone.
Here, for example, is one of the first experiments, based on his poem "læse spytte tænke".
See some of Vagns poems in versions for the web by Christian Yde Frostholm
Also take a look at some very inspiring examples of Swedish concrete poetryfrom CYF's website:
afsnit p.
For an interesting example of concrete poetry taking place at the other side of the world see South African Willem Boshoff's KYKAFRIKAANS which has also recently been given an aural interpretation.
The various experiments eventually led to the creation of a Lydfabet - a journey through the Danish alphabet which you can read (and hear) more about elsewhere on this site.
Below an example of an excerpt based on the letters of Vagn's name:
v.a.g.n._s.t.e.e.n.