Long before I knew what ekphrastic poetry actually was, in 2015 I visited the Whitworth Art Gallery and had a good wander about prior to delivering a workshop. I was intrigued by Lee Godie’s Chicago The Heaven on Earth, partially because of the image, but also I had been pulled in by the title as I am originally from the Chicagoland area. I was so inspired, I had to write a poem about it.
After this first encounter with Lee Godie’s art, I did a bit of investigative work about this fascinating and eccentric woman, discovering a surprising story. I wish I had known about her when I lived in the area as I would have loved to have met her, although apparently she didn’t like women who wore trousers so she probably wouldn’t have talked to me.Lee Godie (1908-1993) was a true Chicagoan. She was born and bred, lived most of her life in Chicago, aside from a short stint in Tacoma, Washington in the late 1940s. During the 1970s and 80s she became quite well known living on the streets of the Windy CityOften called ‘the bag lady’ she painted in the park and sold her art to the staff of the Art Institute (one of my favorite galleries), and its visitors. Her estranged daughter in 1988 reconnected with her after seeing an article about Godie in the Wall Street Journal. The daughter later became Godie’s guardian, caring for her during her final years at which time Godie had her first solo exhibition (1991) championed by Carl Hammer, a Chicago Gallerist.I’ve pondered my poetic response to Godie’s artwork that I wrote before knowing something about her story. My response seems to fit into the Poetry Foundation’s definition of Ekphrastic Poetry. It does describe an artwork. However, here is another definition to consider, put forward by writers.com:Ekphrasis is a literary device in which a work of art, usually visual, inspires a piece of poetry or prose. Ekphrastic poetry then, describes a poem that finds inspiration in the creative elements of a piece of art.This brings me to another encounter with Ekphrastic poetry that took place in 2018 when I had an exhibition of my white gel pen drawings on black paper. I thought it would be interesting to invite five writers of poetry to respond to one or more of these images. Glynis Charlton, Sue Flowers, Liz Graham, Terry Quinn and Whitney Standlee took up the challenge. The writers each chose images that spoke to them. A publication culminated with these responses which the writers and myself read on the evening of the launch (copies still available). Linda Hampton wrote a review about this exhibition and the poetic responses, linked here: Images And Words Take Us Into The Light for Blackpool Social Club.Here was my contribution:
Into the LightStars shine
Deep dark
Flat black
Black bear
Belly full
Black bear
Stands firm
Ground firm
Tall grass
White grass
Grass bars
Glass bones
Dance bones
Shine bones
Snake bones
Snake snake
Slither snake
Dream bear
Out there
Fruit falls
Wind falls
Tree stands
Stands firm
Bear speaks
Of love
Reach reach
In love
In to
The light
Fall love
In love
Fall love
In love
Fall.
Thank you for reading.
Kate J
Sources
Hampton, L., 2018. Images and Words Take Us Into the Light. https://www.blackpoolsocial.club/27867-images-words-take-us-light/ Accessed 10 June, 2024.
Outsider Art Fair, 2024. Lee Godie. https://www.outsiderartfair.com/artists/lee-godie Accessed 10 June 2024.
Poetry Foundation, 2024. Glossary of Poetic Terms. https://www.poetryfoundation.org/learn/glossary-terms/ekphrasis%20Accessed%2010%20June%202024 Accessed 10 June 2024
The New York Times, 2024. Overlooked no more: Lee Godie, Eccentric Chicago Street Artist. https://www.nytimes.com/2022/01/21/obituaries/lee-godie-overlooked.html Accessed 10 June 2024.
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