Tatum and Lindsay at So Destroy It are all about creativity, so when they featured the work of writer/artist Austin Kleon on their blog I wasn't surprised (but I was intrigued). Austin is a master of the art of blackout poetry. Armed with a newspaper and a Sharpie marker, he creates a message within a message by blacking out the majority of the text (and leaving a few words behind). As he notes in one of my favorite of his works: creativity is subtraction.
I was immediately down to try this because A) I own several Sharpie markers and B) I read every issue of the Queen's Journal (and never know what to do with them when I'm done).
I love the idea of recycling the words of a newspaper article and making them your own. The following are a few blackout poems that I did when I should have been studying.
BOP #1: Get Fresh
BOP #2: Sharif Says
BOP #3: Blogging v Living
The "slowly beginning to be fresh" one was actually my first attempt at blackout poetry (perhaps that's why those were the words that jumped out at me?) And the irony of the "blogging" one is not lost on me (as I am, in fact, sharing it on my blog).
xo,
Sharif
i love love loveee
ReplyDeleteThanks T+L and thanks for turning me onto them. So creative, so cool.
ReplyDeleteomg ur SUPER COOL! ok. no for realz im guna go make my own sharpie magic during history class. sweet dude
ReplyDeleteJust don't sharpie IN your history textbook girllll! xo
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