OUGD404 - Studio Brief 2

OUGD404 - Studio Brief 2

The task for studio brief 2 is to create a set of 3 book covers with a coherent style, colour palette and grid system. These books must have a link or shared theme.

I've chosen to do poetry books because a book of selected poems has a variety of  descriptive and emotive language about a range of things; offering a plethora of subject matter to visually communicate. I also enjoy reading poetry anyway so it will give me a chance to choose books I'm already familiar with.

My chosen theme for this set of 3 books is poetry which can be applied to different senses - poetry of the senses.

Sight

I've chosen 'Selected Poems' by E.E. Cummings, edited by Richard S. Kennedy, to represent sight. Cummings was not only a poet but a painter and often he tread the line between the two, experimenting with the interactions of language and visual expression. Having simultaneously been an artist and poet, a lot of his works will demonstrate similar themes to his poetry, however the main reason this set of poems embodies the sensation of sight being applied to poetry is the chapter titled 'Poetry of the Eye' - inspired by cubism, this poetry is purely visual, unintended to be read in some cases.

Hearing

There's no better link between poetry and the sense of hearing than in music. Many great musicians have written poetry such as John Lennon and Johnny Cash, however one of the most prolific was Leonard Cohen, which is why I've chosen 'Book of Longing' by Cohen. Not only did his song writing and poetry share the same soulful, emotive and engaging themes and language, his poetry has lyric like qualities to it, using rhyming schemes such as AABB and ABAB which are commonly used in songs. This gives his poetry a sense of rhythm and purpose to the way it's said.

Smell/Taste

The intersection of poetry with different senses clearly becomes more intricate and complex once vision and hearing are no longer considered. Having said this, a poet who definitely crafted his poetry so evocatively and into such an immersive experience that senses like smell and taste are almost imagined, was Pablo Neruda. One of the greatest poets of the 20th century, Neruda used eloquent and elaborate language and appealed to different senses to create a visceral experience, putting the reader in whatever scene or situation he wrote about.   

"Now, now too, little one, you bring me honeysuckle, and even your breasts smell of it. While the sad wind goes slaughtering butterflies I love you, and my happiness bites the plum of your mouth."

"your soul is a thirsting bottle of salt and a bell of grapes is your skin"

" the pale day appears, with a cold heart breaking smell, with its forces in grey"