Centenary students

In the realm of collage poetry, lines of existing text become the building blocks for a new narrative, taken from their original context and woven together to forge unexpected meanings. The result is an amalgamation of carefully curated or haphazardly arranged fragments, creating a space where disjunction meets surprise, and serendipity dances with creativity.

This exhibition showcases collage poetry by students enrolled in the spring 2023 courses Introduction to Creative Writing and Pop Culture Poetics under the guidance of Dr. Chrissy Martin, Assistant Professor of English.

As you wander the exhibition space, witness the dynamic interplay between text and image, where language skills at the line level take center stage. The students, armed with a canvas as their literary playground, delve into a diverse array of materials—from art books and magazines to roadmaps, sheet music, postcards, stamps, comic books, and other thrifted treasures.

Guided by the principles of associative thinking, these poets explore the art of making connections among disparate texts, emphasizing the importance of context, arrangement, and form. Juxtaposition becomes a powerful tool, allowing them to disassemble and reassemble artistic elements into new, thought-provoking works.

Rhinestones, disco tiles, pressed flowers—every element is a potential catalyst for inspiration, challenging conventional notions of poetry creation. The students not only learn to wield the written word but also discover how the visual and textual realms can harmonize in unexpected and captivating ways.