Calligraphy by Denis Brown

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Ink and Blood, Calligraphy by Denis Brown 2008. 44 x 95cm 17.5" x 37.5".
Gouache on translucent polyester film laid over and stitched to a background sheet of dark brown paper with calligraphy that shows through the translucent film. One of a small series of variations on this theme. See another version here.

Text: 'We are ink & blood & all things that make stains'
from the poem, 'We Learned' by Erica Jong. Read the full poem here.
Expressionist layered writing with an automatic pen. 2 layers of writing on front and back of translucent film, and with two more layers written on a background sheet of dark brown Canson paper. The full extract above is incorporated, though the words are disguised by the layering and untraditional polyrhythmic* forms and spacing.

*'Polyrhythmic' is a term I borrow from music and apply to calligraphic rhythms that transcend even spaced, fixed width norms of traditional western calligraphy; and aspire to something much more musical. Several contrasting rhythmic elements are combined in an improvised manner: compressed against wide, pointed against curved, thick downstroke against thin downstroke, etc.

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