The American poet Brian Johnson visited Burghard Müller-Dannhausen on a Connecticut State University research grant in Koblenz, Germany, from July 13 to July 24. The collaboration between poet and painter was deepened by a personal encounter as well as daily dialogues on their mutual work and upcoming exhibition.
July 14, 2009
09-05-001
July 14, 2009
09-05-002
July 14, 2009
09-05-003
The ten-day program consisted of the following items:
1. Discussing the color field painting of Burghard Müller-Dannhausen
2. Viewing the status of the collaboration
3. Analyzing multimedia perception and audience response
4. Establishing a premise for presenting images in a gallery
5. Preparing for a joint exhibition
6. Delivering a public reading in Homburg/Saar, Germany
7. Studying the history and character of typefaces
8. Sharing mutual impressions of Germany
1. Discussing the color field painting of Burghard Müller-Dannhausen
A demonstration of Mr. Müller-Dannhausen’s painting methods revealed his approach to color. For him, an image begins with color, not with shape; with color decisions, not with drawing. Colors are chosen and combined, then examined further. Some colors are kept, others rejected and replaced, ultimately yielding a final color ensemble. This initial work is followed by three steps: defining the quantities of individual colors, localizing and anchoring colors in the whole of the image, and organizing color on the picture plain. The goal of color choosing is to find a color combination that has an epic substance. Color, then, is an abstract tool of transmission, be it an inspiration from reality or the perception of a poem.
of the colour archive
July 14, 2009
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of the colour archive
July 14, 2009
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of the colour archive
July 14, 2009
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2. Viewing the status of the collaboration (March 2009-June 2009).
The basis for this artistic collaboration is a congruent way of seeing and thinking, a similar reaction to impulses from reality (landscape, light, motion), and a mutual feeling for the epic and lyrical dimensions of art. The collaboration on the current project was begun in March. The premise was simple: each artist took the other’s work as a starting point for creation. A poem inspired an image. An image inspired a poem. The results were transmitted via mail or e-mail. By this procedure, the artists generated “chains”: an image followed a poem, a poem followed an image, and so forth. Some chains began with poems; others, with images. The chains remain open. A chain will be deemed complete at the determination of either artist. In addition, the collaboration has produced two “sequences.” In the first sequence, poems consisting of several linked sections led to a suite of images, each responding to one of the sections. In the second, three images were selected as the basis for the creation of a single three-stanza poem. As of July, along with the two finished sequences, nine open chains are in progress. All of this work has been documented by computer prints and layouts.
the pictorial concept
July 14, 2009
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July 14, 2009
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the "chains"
July 14, 2009
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3. Analyzing multimedia perception and audience response
A poem is read. An image is viewed. The chains and sequences are an invitation to both reading and viewing, and an opportunity to merge the two experiences. The presence of a poem widens the dimensions of the pictorial experience. The eyes regarding the image may wander and catch one or more lines of the poem, or establish a new meaning for the picture based on a full reading of the poem. Similarly, the presence of an image influences the reading of a poem and widens the dimension of the reading experience. The presence of the image may enlarge the viewing circle of the reading eye, which may flit back and forth between the two objects, or contemplate one, then contemplate the other… Viewers will respond differently to the immediate, physical proximity of paintings and poems. No artist can dictate these responses, but Mr. Johnson and Mr. Muller-Dannhausen have created work based on a simple understanding: The image is not an illustration of the poem, nor is the poem a commentary on the image. Instead, at the moment of creation, the poem inspires an image or the image inspires a poem. The viewer encounters the results of this mutual inspiration.
the typographical
arrangement
July 19, 2009
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the typographical
arrangement
July 19, 2009
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the typographical
arrangement
July 19, 2009
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the "sequences"
July 19, 2009
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the "sequences"
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the "sequences"
July 19, 2009
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4. Establishing a premise for presenting images in a gallery
“Chains” and “sequences” are conceptions produced, in their initial and simplest form, on freestanding sheets of paper. But conceptions are open to different methods of presentation. One method is to present images and poems in a book or a catalogue, which allows a viewer to turn the pages and manage his or her experience by hand. Another method is to present images and poems on walls, in an exhibition space. Mr. Johnson and Mr. Muller-Dannhausen chose this option, determining after much discussion that the poems and the images should appear as digital prints on the same material (canvas), and with the same physical dimensions. The aims in choosing this method are, first, to prevent one media from physically overwhelming the other, and second, to encourage viewers to simultaneously perceive the image and the poem.
forms of presentation
July 19, 2009
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forms of presentation
July 19, 2009
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forms of presentation
July 19, 2009
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5. Preparing for a joint exhibition
The details of a joint exhibition were discussed with the gallerists Mathias and Susanna Beck in Homburg/Saar, Germany. The ongoing work of “chains” and “sequences” was presented, followed by an extensive discussion of the exhibition concept and the ideal way to present and arrange the work in the gallery space. The exhibition is planned for August and September of 2010.
with the gallerists
Susanna and
Mathias Beck
July 15, 2009
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Mathias Beck
July 15, 2009
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Mathias Beck
July 15, 2009
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6. Delivering a public reading at the m beck gallery
At the invitation of Mathias Beck and the m beck gallery, Mr. Johnson read his poetry to a group of special guests with an interest in American poetry. Afterwards, Mr. Johnson conversed with guests in the gallery and at a dinner to celebrate the event.
July 15, 2009
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Brian Johnson
July 15, 2009
(paintings:
Maike Günther)
09-05-023
Brian Johnson
July 15, 2009
(paintings:
Maike Günther)
09-05-024
Brian Johnson
July 15, 2009
(painting:
Maike Günther)
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Brian Johnson
July 15, 2009
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Brian Johnson
July 15, 2009
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Audience members were particularly interested in the unpublished poem “Window Seat.” Mr. Johnson read it a second time to conclude the reading.
Window Seat
Every flight is a surrender. You book them until you are too poor to fly, or can no longer bear it. Today someone is flying you to Berlin, last week you were flown to Helsinki, and next month you will be taken to Rome. On business. What business? You can’t say. Nobody can really say. Your hair and wristwatch and suit are just beyond description; nobody in the cabins can explain your look, your looks. In time the water is brought, it sits before you in a wide-mouthed cup. How clear they are—the water, the cup—mirroring one another! But the water tastes stale, as if it were left over from an earlier flight. You walk sideways, slowly, to the toilet. It is stainless steel, like your mother’s fruitbowl from her house in Detroit. You can still see the apple sitting there, an imperial red, the last of its siblings, in the mote-high light just before sunset. The plane begins shaking, and swooning, almost on cue, as soon as the seatbelt lights are turned off. Then come the pilot’s words, so measured, so parental, followed by silence and the steadying of the plane. The girl across the aisle is casually pretty; her hair is unkempt, she chews her nails. She looks Dutch, or perhaps Swedish—tall, with the coloring of a white peach. And you wonder how many virgins are on the flight, how many of the older women have had affairs, or might be flying toward their first affair. The flight attendant is circulating the bag, and smiling in her make-up. You cannot fathom the make-up, the extent of it. Lady Aoki, the Noh, comes to mind. Overhead, the in-flight movie plays silently: Home Alone. You missed the title sequence, but you recognize the actors. After a few minutes, you remove your gaze and turn it to the window; the plane has passed the black Atlantic and flown into British airspace. It is sliding inexorably over the shires toward London Heathrow, carrying itself and its passengers toward Terminal 1, where you must gather your personal effects and disembark. You pull on your trenchcoat, shaking the shoulders into position, glancing at the Dutch girl, her fingers, her toes, a final time. You shuffle out of the cabin and find the connecting flight. It should land in Berlin sometime before noon, in a light rain.
(painting:
Maike Günther)
July 15, 2009
09-05-028
(painting:
Maike Günther)
July 15, 2009
09-05-029
(painting:
Maike Günther)
July 15, 2009
09-05-030
July 15, 2009
09-05-031
July 15, 2009
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July 15, 2009
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7. Studying the history and character of typefaces
The reading of a poem is defined not only by the content and structure of the poem, but also by its typography. The interrelationships of these three elements were thoroughly discussed by poet and painter. The visual quality and exhibition potential of various typefaces were examined, with a focus on Antiqua, particularly Renaissance Antiqua (e.g. Garamond and Palatino) and Baroque Antiqua (e.g. Baskerville and Caslon). A comparison between Garamond and Palatino revealed the contrast between the adaptation of a traditional form to the modern technique of font production, on the one hand, and the transmission of a historical approach to a design solution of the twentieth century, on the other. Garamond was discussed as an expression of French “clarté” and as a creation of the time of Montaigne.
typefaces
July 19, 2009
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typeface
July 19, 2009
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typeface
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typefaces
July 19, 2009
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the historical originals
of Garamond
July 20, 2009
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the historical originals
of Garamond
July 20, 2009
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8. Sharing mutual impressions of Germany
Trier was perceived as an example of a unique German town as well as an example of a European way of life. Trier’s historical background and “touristiness” lends it an air of provincial urbanity.
July 16, 2009
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July 16, 2009
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Dom-Kreuzgang
July 16, 2009
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Konstantin-Thermen
July 16, 2009
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Porta Nigra
July 16, 2009
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July 16, 2009
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The abbey Maria Laach revealed the architectural sensibility and spiritual atmosphere of the Benedictines. The principle “ora et labora” came to life that summer day.
July 17, 2009
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at the Laach lake
July 17, 2009
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at the Laach lake
July 17, 2009
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at the Laach lake
July 17, 2009
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at the Laach lake
July 17, 2009
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at the Laach lake
July 17, 2009
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Maria Laach abbey
July 17, 2009
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Maria Laach abbey
July 17, 2009
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Maria Laach abbey
July 17, 2009
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Maria Laach abbey
July 17, 2009
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Maria Laach abbey
July 17, 2009
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Maria Laach abbey
July 17, 2009
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Maria Laach abbey
July 17, 2009
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Maria Laach abbey
July 17, 2009
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Maria Laach abbey
July 17, 2009
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Maria Laach abbey
July 17, 2009
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Maria Laach abbey
July 17, 2009
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Maria Laach abbey
July 17, 2009
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Cologne—with its manifold catchwords, its history, its presiding cathedral, its energy radiating to all points of city—was an indispensable destination.
Hohenzollern Bridge
July 18, 2009
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Hohenzollern Bridge
July 18, 2009
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Hohenzollern Bridge
July 18, 2009
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July 18, 2009
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July 18, 2009
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July 18, 2009
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Gross St. Martin
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Gross St. Martin
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Cathedral
July 18, 2009
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Koblenz provided an instructive contrast to Trier. This contrast illustrates both the commonalities and the individuality of German towns.
Ehrenbreitstein
fortress
July 14, 2009
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Ehrenbreitstein
fortress
July 14, 2009
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Ehrenbreitstein
fortress
July 14, 2009
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Ehrenbreitstein
fortress
July 14, 2009
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view from
Ehrenbreitstein
fortress
July 14, 2009
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view from
Ehrenbreitstein
fortress
July 14, 2009
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"Deutsches Eck"
(German corner)
July 20, 2009
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"Deutsches Eck"
(German corner)
July 20, 2009
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"Deutsches Eck"
(German corner)
July 20, 2009
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Castor-Basilika
July 20, 2009
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Flowing together
of Mosel and Rhine
July 20, 2009
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"Deutsches Eck"
(German corner)
July 20, 2009
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Florins Church
July 20, 2009
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Jesuitenplatz
July 20, 2009
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Jesuitenkolleg
July 20, 2009
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Berlin formed the counterpoint to Cologne. These cities represent different historical spaces and dramatically different layers of meaning. The brief stay in Berlin was highlighted by a visit to the Holocaust memorial and a lunch meeting with the poet and translator Joachim Sartorius, who had read Torch Lake and Other Poems with enthusiasm and discussed with Brian Johnson some prospects for translating the work into German.
July 21, 2009
09-05-088
July 21, 2009
09-05-089
Tauentzienstraße
July 21, 2009
09-05-090
Kaiser-Wilhelm-
Gedächtniskirche
July 21, 2009
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Kaiser-Wilhelm-
Gedächtniskirche
July 21, 2009
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Kaiser-Wilhelm-
Gedächtniskirche
July 21, 2009
09-05-093
Holocaust memorial
July 21, 2009
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Holocaust memorial
July 21, 2009
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Holocaust memorial
July 21, 2009
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Brandenburger Tor
July 21, 2009
09-05-097
Gendarmenmarkt
July 21, 2009
09-05-098
Oranienburger Straße
July 21, 2009
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Oranienburger Straße
July 21, 2009
09-05-100
Oranienburger Straße
July 21, 2009
09-05-101
Oranienburger Straße
July 21, 2009
09-05-102
Underground
July 22, 2009
09-05-103
Underground
July 22, 2009
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Underground
July 22, 2009
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Lennéstraße
July 22, 2009
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Potsdamer Platz
July 22, 2009
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Potsdamer Platz
July 22, 2009
09-05-108
Gemäldegalerie
July 22, 2009
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Gemäldegalerie
July 22, 2009
09-05-110
Gemäldegalerie
July 22, 2009
09-05-111
Gemäldegalerie
July 22, 2009
09-05-112
Gemäldegalerie
July 22, 2009
09-05-113
Gemäldegalerie
July 22, 2009
09-05-114
July 22, 2009
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July 22, 2009
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July 22, 2009
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Publication:
Torch Lake and Other Poems
by Brian Johnson
Del Sol Press, delsolpress.org
ISBN 978-1-934832-07-3
$14.95 Paperback / 88 pages
Individual orders: www.Amazon.com or www.Barnesandnoble.com
Bookstore orders: Ingram Book Distributors, www.ingrambookgroup.com
To contact the author, email johnsonb2@southernct.edu
For further information about Torch Lake, see Report 02/2009